Baked Ricotta

Baked, puffy, and golden, this ricotta dip is wonderful with pita chips or veggie crudités. A quick whisk of the ingredients and a pour into the pan is all it takes to have this at the table in minutes. Try to use a shallow baking dish to maximize the amount of cheese that browns since the puffy crust is the most alluring part of this dip. It’s a cold-weather version of the Herbed Ricotta Dip that was a huge hit with my family. I omitted the chile since it would’ve been a turnoff for my kids.

This recipe is so quick and easy to put together and makes for a sophisticated-looking starter to share or an interesting alternative to a cheese board. We served it with a mix of crackers and chutneys to everyone’s delight. The oregano and chile lend subtle flavors to the cheese and the Parmigiano lends a gorgeous melty texture to the fluffy ricotta.

I chose to interpret “a few leaves” as “leaves from a few stems,” otherwise there wasn’t going to be much point in buying and using the oregano. I used a red jalapeño chile.

This super simple recipe turned out to be a cross between a quiche and a soufflé, but easier than either. My tasters loved its creamy texture and cheesy taste. I used a jalapeño but it was quite mild and we all thought a little more heat would’ve been a nice contrast. The oregano and a healthy grinding of black pepper worked really well.

l imagined I’d rather fold in than beat the ingredients together. However, I used homemade, fairly dense ricotta, which required mixing rather vigorously. The dish still puffed up nicely and baked to a lovely golden brown. I served this with some crackers because someone (I’m not mentioning names) finished the baguette I’d put aside. The bread probably would’ve been better. Frankly, I’d eat it as a light dinner with a spinach salad or as breakfast with a slice of buttered toast.

This recipe reminds me what the TC designation is all about. It didn’t appeal to me greatly just from reading it, but I made it and it was way above my expectations. Delicious, really, and for so little effort. The taste is savory without being heavy. There’s a lot of Parmigiano in this, so it has a big influence on the flavor.

I think what we’re supposed to end up with is a spoonbread texture (sorry if you aren’t from the South and are unfamiliar with that culinary wonder). I let mine go an extra 5 minutes in the oven, and in hindsight I’d let it go a little longer still. This may have to do with the shape of the baking dish I used. I’d suggest a 3-cup capacity if you make this. I had a mixture a bit over 2 inches deep, so that might explain the need for a bit more time in the oven.

I found the best way to serve it was just like spoonbread—scoop it out with a serving spoon onto plates. l highly recommend giving it a try. There’s no need to gently fold the ingredients together. This isn’t a soufflé. Nor is there a need to beat them. This is a thick mixture. I found the best utensil for mixing it to be a fork, and the best description of the process to be mashing it together, then stirring a bit. I did beat the egg just a bit with a fork before adding, to make sure it mixed in evenly. I think the instructions are fine as written. This is really a very easy recipe that’s best not to overthink.

As a fan of good ricotta on bread, I was a little curious how much better baked ricotta could be for the increase in effort. I should’ve known that warm cheese typically trumps cold cheese!

I made a well in the ricotta and then added the eggs so I could break the yolks and premix the eggs before mixing it all into the ricotta. I used a seeded jalapeño pepper, but could see leaving the pepper out and topping the cooked ricotta with a jalapeño jelly. I served it with slices of fresh baguette, chutney, dried apricots, pesto, roasted garlic, and roasted tomatoes—basically, bread and the ricotta plus a spread of various toppings. The Parmigiano gave the ricotta some needed saltiness and I recommend tasting the cold mixture (maybe before adding the eggs, if you’re squeamish about that) to get a sense of how much salt to add.

This is definitely going into dinner party rotation, though I suspect I may need a double batch.

This is a great alternative to the traditional dips set out for various events and parties. It’s creamy, unique, and simple to prepare. A great dip when you want to show up to the party with something unexpected.

Because the cheese is served warm, it tastes great on sliced baguette topped with a little fresh Roma tomato, and it was also fantastic stuffed into those multicolored mini peppers. Everything we put it on was that much easier to eat. The pepper (I used a jalapeño) adds just the right oomph to the dip.

This incredibly simple appetizer will knock your socks off. We couldn’t get over how delicious and addictive this dish was. It comes together very easily and bakes up into glorious, decadent, fluffy goodness that pairs very well with a baguette. I used a fancy, fresh, hand-dipped ricotta that was extraordinary! I think with the complexity of all the other flavors, next time I’ll try a low-fat ricotta and this should work just as well. I used 1 whole jalapeño and only a few oregano leaves as suggested. Next time, I’ll stick with the jalapeño but will increase the oregano, as it was perfect in this dish. I had to bake it roughly 32 minutes for a golden and puffed finish. I can’t wait to make this again!

There’s a rustic quality that I really enjoy about this baked ricotta. There are many ways to serve it but I went with a final cheese course at the end of a nice meal. Honey and pistachios drizzled over the top of a small wedge really made it special.

One other thing I like about this recipe: it’s so fuss-free that if you’ve got some leftover ricotta—let’s say after a holiday lasagna feast—this is just the thing to do with it as it breathes new life into orphan ricotta containers. I tested with a 15-ounce container, as that’s the standard weight of commercial supermarket ricotta.

I incorporated all of the ingredients with a thorough folding. It’s important to get the eggs incorporated. It took a bit longer than 25 minutes for baking—more like 30 to 32 minutes for the cheese to get golden and less “jiggly.”

Where do I begin? This delightful, creamy concoction was first spread on a thin slice of baguette, then used as a dip for fresh crisp vegetables, and finally tasted by the spoonful (possibly the best way!) While it was very good hot from the oven (I couldn’t wait), I was only going to give it an 8 at that point. However, when it cooled, I gave it a 10!

It’s so easy to make and so much lighter than some typical baked spread or dip recipes, such as spinach artichoke and others that are cream cheese-based. I used a jalapeno, however, next time I will not remove all the seeds or I will use a serrano pepper for more heat. I was a little too light with the salt and will add more next time.

This recipe is nearly perfect as written, but I think it lends itself to experimentation with other cheeses and various herbs. I can visualize this being a nice filling for an omelette. Breakfast tomorrow?