Giada De Laurentiis Shared Her Favorite Recipe for Using Up Leftover Fruit That Would Otherwise Go to Waste
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We always have the best of intentions when we buy fruit. But more often than not, we forget it’s in the fridge and half of it always seems to go mushy before we’ve had the chance to fully enjoy it. But rather than toss those overripe berries into the garbage, Giada De Laurentiis likes to give them a second life in a delicious dessert that takes just a few minutes to make. It’s sweet, and creamy, and will make great use of any fruit that was destined for the compost.
“When [the fruit is] not quite as perfect as it should be and it gets a little soft, I like to make this dessert,” De Laurentiis said in a recent Instagram video. “It’s a ricotta with berries, and I make a little simple syrup and caramelized croutons … so it’s kind of taking leftover stuff and recreating it.”
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In the caption she wrote, “Fresh ricotta, sweet berries cooked down to a citrusy syrup, and crunchy caramelized croutons.. trust me on this one.”
She first starts by putting her fruit into a pan with some sugar and the juice of one orange and half a lemon and cooking it down for about 10 minutes. While that’s simmering, you can bake your homemade croutons (just cubed bread with a bit of butter and sugar) in the oven for a few minutes until they’re browned and crispy.
Once everything is nice and cooked, it’s time to season some ricotta. De Laurentiis uses chopped mint, and the zest of orange and lemon to add some freshness to the dish. Then, place some of the fruit compote over the ricotta, top with the crispy croutons, and you’re ready to enjoy!
“You could also make this in advance, put it in the fridge, and then top it with croutons at the very end,” De Laurentiis says, “and it makes for the perfect snack, even breakfast. Definitely dessert.”
So before you toss that fruit, take it to the stove and cook it down into this delicious syrup that’s great over ricotta, croutons, gelato, pancakes, and really anything else you can think of!
In search of more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has plenty:
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