Sancarlin: A Cheese Spread from Piemonte

Sancarlin: A Cheese Spread from Piemonte

Sancarlin is traditionally made with ricotta di pecora, sheep’s milk ricotta. It is nearly impossible to find sheep’s milk ricotta in the United States. You will get good results with a high-quality cow’s milk ricotta. Though not traditional, you can add an ounce or two of soft goat cheese to the recipe to increase the complexity of the dish. If you have access to sheep’s milk (which I don’t in northern New Mexico), and you feel ambitious, you can make your own ricotta! A link to my recipe is in the Notes section below. Adjust the amount of garlic and red pepper to taste. Serve with grissini, crostini, focaccia or tossed with boiled potatoes

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Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

8 ounces best quality ricotta preferably artisanal
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 dried hot red peppers preferably Italian
salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Finely mince the garlic and combine with the olive oil. You can do this by processing the garlic and oil in a small food processor.
If using the goat cheese, add it to the processor after the garlic has been minced and whiz to blend everything.
Finely crush the red peppers and blend with the garlic mixture.
Combine the garlic mixture with the ricotta and mix well.
Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate, tightly covered, for two days before using for the best flavor.

Notes

If you want to make your own ricotta, you can find my recipe here.

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