Baked ricotta dip is the very definition of easy entertaining. Seriously. It’s just ricotta, eggs, and Parmigiano-Reggiano beaten and baked until puffed and golden. There’s not even a need to be ever so gentle as you fold the ingredients together as with a soufflé. Entertaining gets no easier and guests are no happier. Don’t forget to prepare to accept accolades because there’s going to be some serious gushing over this rich, indulgent, satisfying little cheese number. Tasting is believing. Set it out on its own with sliced baguette and crackers or crudités or as part of an antipasto platter with charcuterie.–Renee Schettler

Baked Ricotta FAQs

What do I serve with baked ricotta?

We’ve been tempted to sidle up to this dish with nothing more than a spoon and say it serves one. If you’re a little less greedy than us, you can set it out as a light dinner or as an appetizer with wine and scoop it up with or slather it over crostini, dried fruits, blanched vegetables, anything, really. A drizzle of honey along with a sprinkling of black pepper is really quite nice.

Does ricotta cheese need to be drained?

That depends on the recipe. If you’re making cannoli or cheesecakes, you may need to drain the liquid from your ricotta. For this recipe, baked ricotta, no draining is necessary.

A parchment lined deep baking pan filled with baked ricotta.

Baked Ricotta

4.77 / 34 votes
This rich and indulgent baked ricotta is easy to make and supremely satisfying, making it perfect for entertaining.
David Leite
CourseHors d’Oeuvres
CuisineItalian
Servings4 servings
Calories318 kcal
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes

Ingredients 

  • Butter for the baking dish
  • 15 to 18 ounces fresh whole-milk ricotta, (not reduced fat)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
  • A few oregano leaves, finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 chile pepper, such as jalapeño or serrano, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a 2-cup .
  • Beat all the ingredients in a bowl with a fork or a until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and bake until golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes, give or take a little depending on how shallow or deep your baking dish.
  • Let cool slightly prior to serving straight from the baking dish by the generous spoonful. (Okay, so you can serve the dip hot, but honestly, it's even more spectacular when allowed to cool somewhat.)

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 portionCalories: 318 kcalCarbohydrates: 4 gProtein: 24 gFat: 23 gSaturated Fat: 14 gMonounsaturated Fat: 7 gTrans Fat: 0.01 gCholesterol: 164 mgSodium: 532 mgFiber: 0.1 gSugar: 1 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe © 2012 Manuela Darling-Gansser. Photo © 2012 Simon Griffiths. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

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?




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appรฉtit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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4.77 from 34 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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66 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I didn’t buy ricotta cheese to make this particular recipe. Because I did not use the cheese for the recipe I had planned to make, and did not want it to go to waste, I searched “ricotta cheese” on your site. What a pleasant surprise!! Besides the fact that this dish takes no time at all to put together — the end result is a beautiful “quiche-ie-souffle” kind of thing. I did use a seeded chile and added a mix of fresh herbs from my garden – oregano, basil and chives as well as the zest of one lemon and the juice of 1/2 of a lemon (once again, trying to use up food before it went to the trash bin). I consider this recipe as a canvas for adding a variety of flavors, from sweet to savory. I was very smitten with the lemon/herb version I made originally, yet I had to go back and follow the recipe as written as a comparison. You can’t go wrong with this dish as the opening act for a cocktail party served with bread or vegetables, as a side dish with a simple roasted chicken, or, depending upon your ingredients, a savory breakfast egg casserole with an addition of some goat cheese rather than parmesan. I used a smaller, 2-inch deep baking dish but also used a buttered pie plate for another round – both were great but required monitoring while in the oven after about 15 minutes.

    1. cheriede, my, I do admire your persistence! And creativity. I’m delighted you enjoyed the recipe, and I look forward to more innovations from you.

  2. 5 stars
    This was fantastic. I too had a hard time getting it to brown, but who cares it tasted amazing. We did have some honey on the table so drizzled it over a bite and omg it made something amazing even better! Thanks for sharing this gem.

    1. Wonderful, Trish! You’re very welcome! And we’ve had varying experiences with the browning in our kitchens depending on the oven. You can always run the ricotta dip beneath the broiler for a minute or so just before serving or, if you have one, take a small blow torch to it just as you would a creme brulee. Thanks so much for taking the time to drop us a comment!

  3. 5 stars
    This was a big hit! I mixed up a double batch. Baked one batch, put the second one in the fridge for baking the next day. This worked perfectly. Did not use jalapenos because of varying guest palates. However, I had a jar of jalapeno jelly which also disappeared.

    The second day I baked the second batch and took it upstairs to my neighbors. We experimented with various crackers, stuffed cherry tomatoes, freshly cut bread and toasted bread – again using a new jar of the jalapeno jelly. We saved a bit for Grandma for breakfast which she inhaled with the jelly.

    My favorite was toasted french bread with jelly spread on the bread and the ricotta topping it.

    1. Spectacular, Maureen! I love your spirit of experimentation and am so, so happy everyone loved this as much as we do! Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know. Looking forward to hearing which recipe on the site you try next!