Snap Pea Salad With Whipped Ricotta Recipe 455

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high. Add peas and cook just until bright green and barely tender, about 1 minute. Immediately transfer peas to a bowl of ice water; let stand 5 minutes. Drain well. Thinly slice lengthwise. Process ricotta and 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind in a food processor until smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds. Spread mixture on a serving platter. Toss together sliced snap peas, pea tendrils, chives, mint, dill, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Arrange on top of ricotta mixture. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind.

Steps:

• For vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk the first 8 ingredients until blended. In a 6-qt. stockpot, bring 16 cups water to a boil. Add snap peas; cook, uncovered, 2-3 minutes or just until peas turn bright green. Remove peas and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry; place in a large bowl., Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 4 hours before serving. If desired, sprinkle with lemon zest.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 pound trimmed sugar snap peas (strings removed, if necessary), sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal, 1 cup finely chopped red onion, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Let stand, tossing occasionally, 10 minutes.

Steps:

• For the whipped ricotta: Place the ricotta, olive oil and salt in a food processor. Blend until light and smooth, about 30 seconds. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
• For the dressing: Place the basil, pine nuts, vinegar, salt and pepper flakes in a food processor. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil to form a smooth dressing. Set aside.
• For the salad: In a bowl, toss the tomatoes, snap peas and arugula with the dressing.
• To assemble: Spread the whipped ricotta on the bottom of a platter. Place the dressed salad on top of the ricotta, leaving some of the cheese exposed around the edges. Serve.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss together the radishes, peas, ricotta and mint.
• Using a knife or a mortar and pestle, make a paste of the garlic and salt. Place in a small bowl and add the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar and stir well to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil, stirring constantly, and add pepper to taste.
• Pour dressing over salad and toss well to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.