Emilia-Romagna
A delicate baked ricotta and spinach mould, unmoulded and served on a pool of warm Parmigiano Reggiano fonduta — a preparation associated with Bologna's refined bourgeois cooking. The sformato is light (more like a mousseline than a soufflé), and the fonduta brings the Reggiana identity through its concentration of aged Parmigiano. Served as an elegant antipasto or vegetarian secondo.
Delicate, milky and herbal; the Parmigiano fonduta adds crystalline savouriness and umami; spinach gives freshness and colour; the sformato trembles when you serve it — Emilian elegance in a simple mould
{"Drain ricotta overnight in a cloth — excess moisture makes the sformato too dense and prevents it from unmoulding cleanly","Blanch spinach and squeeze absolutely dry — the spinach must be dry enough to incorporate without releasing water during baking","The egg ratio is key: 1 whole egg and 1 yolk per 150g ricotta — more egg and it becomes a frittata; less and it doesn't set","Bake in a bagnomaria at 160°C — direct oven heat makes the sformato rubbery; gentle water-bath heat produces a silky, trembling set","For the fonduta: heat double cream to barely simmering, then add finely grated Parmigiano off heat, whisk until smooth"}
{"Line the mould with breadcrumbs before filling — the crumbs give the sformato a golden exterior and help unmoulding","The Parmigiano for the fonduta should be 24-month minimum — younger Parmigiano doesn't have the necessary flavour concentration","Rest the sformato 5 minutes after removing from the oven before unmoulding — it firms slightly and unmoulds more cleanly"}
{"Wet ricotta — the sformato is waterlogged and won't unmould cleanly","Too much egg — the texture becomes rubbery rather than silky","Baking without the bagnomaria — the direct heat makes the outside set too fast and the inside remains liquid"}
La Cucina Borghese Bolognese — Tradizioni della Tavola Raffinata