Upsides to the Down Economy/ Ricotta Cheese

I bought a large container of Ricotta cheese to make lasagna with, but never made the lasagna so am looking for ways to use it. A recent commercial says we throw out $500 worth of food that goes bad every year. What a waste! Just read an article online that listed Ricotta as a "surprising Super Food" that can add years to your life. It's higher in calcium and lower in sodium than cottage cheese and also contains: folic acid, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium. The suggestion was to buy part-skim, which I always do.

I turned to Chowhound and other sources for inspiration on how to use my ricotta. Sweet or Savory, that is the question. Here are the answers:

Sweet!

Flavor it with Splenda and vanilla extract and serve it with mandarin orange slices and toasted almonds. This works with the South Beach Diet

Ricotta Hot cakes- Nigella's recipe was recommended

Ricotta with apricot jam and slivered almonds on top

Lemon Muffins with almonds- Giada's recipe

Whip ricotta with honey and lemon and serve over berries- could use strawberries or blueberries.

Spread on toast with jalapeno jelly or orange marmalade

Ricotta with grilled figs and honey

Savory

Ricotta on toast with sliced tomatoes

Saute broccoli rabe in garlic with good olive oil and red pepper flakes and serve with a dollop of ricotta

Gnocchi- My aunt Josie uses Ricotta instead of potatoes for a lighter (and easier) version

Pizza- is a natural for ricotta. Make it easy by using a pre-made pizza shell (like Boboli). I took a cue from Anthony's Coal Fire for variations:

Tomato sauce topped with ricotta and mini meatballs

A white pizza with ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese

Ricotta on top of pizza with meatballs, sausage, and grilled veggies

A Spring Pasta recipe called for sauteing 2 cups peas with shallots in olive oil, then throwing this mixture over cooked orichette and adding 1 cup of ricotta and chopped mint (or basil). Yum!

Another pasta dish recommended was with gemelli, sausage, onion, garlic, fresh basil and marinara sauce, layered with ricotta, like lasagna.

Which brings me back to why I bought it in the first place. With all these ideas, I may have to get another container!