Baked Feta and Ricotta with Mint

In Athens and Sicily, we discovered similar baked cheese dishes. In Greece, it was a slab of briny broiled feta cheese eaten with bread. In Italy, it was chewy rounds of firm ricotta that had been doused with spicy-peppery seasonings, then baked until tender and lightly browned. At Milk Street, we found that neither cheese performed well on its own—a victim of lesser cheeses than what we'd had overseas. But we discovered that a creamy, mild ricotta mitigated the graininess that resulted from baking some so-so brands of feta. Look for blocks of feta packed in brine and avoid anything pre-crumbled. If you don't have or can't find Aleppo pepper, substitute 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika mixed with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Serve with pita chips or warm pita bread.