Savory Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

This is a very interesting savory cheesecake filled with zucchini, shallots, and lemon zest. It’s sort of like a savory tart, but without the crust – just a bit more creamy and indulgent. Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Ingredients

• 2 c zucchini, unpeeled and grated
• 1 t salt
• 2.5 c ricotta (I substituted a 50-50 combination of marscapone and cottage cheese and it worked really well)
• 1/2 c parmesian
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 gloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/4 c fresh dill, chopped
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 c fresh goats cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F/165C, and butter a 7″ springform pan (a larger pan is fine, just reduce the cooking time)
2. Squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible and set aside.
3. Combine ricotta, parmesian, shallots, garlic, dill, and lemon zest, and stir in the eggs until well mixed.  Then stir in the zucchini.
4. Fill the springform pan with the mixture and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 60 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, sprinkle with goats cheese, and return to oven for another 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the cake barely jiggles in the center.