Ricotta is a fresh cheese with a smooth texture that lacks the creaminess and calories of cream cheese. The trick to creating a cream sauce with ricotta is to beat the cheese with milk or pasta cooking water. Beating the cheese breaks it down and creates a smooth, lump-free texture that mimics the silkiness of cream sauces. Once you have your sauce, the possibilities are endless.

Cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the vegetables turn translucent and limp.

Add the ricotta cheese and milk to the saucepan and reduce the heat to medium, slowly warming the sauce.

Vigorously whisk the cheese and milk together until the sauce becomes smooth and looks like whipped cream.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese and basil to warm or pour the sauce over the pasta and top with the Parmesan cheese and basil.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and celery and cook until the vegetables become limp.

Add the ricotta cheese and milk to the vegetables, and beat the mixture with a whisk until smooth.

Put the frozen peas, pimentos and diced chicken into the sauce and heat over medium-low heat until the sauce and ingredients are warmed through.

Serve the chicken sauce on top of the cooked rice for a Chicken a la King dinner.