Hellllooooo, absolutely amazing appetizer recipe.
And helllloooo to the unofficial start of summer (ahem, Memorial Day Weekend, THANK GOODNESS IT’S HERE).
I am so giddy about this recipe. It checks all the easy, surprisingly delicious, and fresh appetizer boxes.
Once the weather turns nice in Minneapolis (and by nice we’re talking: the sun’s out and um, maybe 40°F ;)), one of my favorite activities is walking across the Stone Arch Bridge, overlooking the Mississippi River, and ending up at a little cafe.
It was such an afternoon a little over a month ago (before the mono hit) when I was completely inspired. I enjoyed a carrot mimosa – seriously, so good – and a homemade ricotta appetizer.
One bit in and I knew I HAD to recreate it. Knowing that I’d want to eat it on the regular, and that no matter where you’re at in this world, you deserve to have a bit of this creamy herb-a-liciousness too!
Whipped Ricotta
Quick poll: who already knew whipped ricotta was a thing?
Pretty sure I didn’t up until that moment. Because if I had had it, there’s no way I could’ve forgotten it. It’s life changing.
Nervous about making whipped ricotta yourself? I was too. Granted, the cafe made homemade ricotta (more on that in a minute), so when I went about making it from store-bought ricotta, I was nervous. BUT IT WORKS AND IT’S SO GOOD.
Here’s the key though: you must use the freshest ricotta you can find for it to be unbelievably good. Don’t skimp on the fat content either.
I used Whole Food’s house-made ricotta (sold in the cheese section). I also tested making my own homemade ricotta, pretty successfully, too. It’s super easy and I used a variation of Ina Garten‘s recipe.
P.S. Are you interested in a homemade ricotta post?
Just how easy is whipped ricotta? Grab a hand mixer, whisk up the ricotta for a minute or two, and bam! That’s it! It comes to be the creamiest spread…and the the topping…
Herbs and Honey
The topping is the cherry on top! Or, the herbs and honey, rather.
You could easily use whichever herbs you have laying around, or growing in your garden this summer. My favorite combination is a bit of mint and parsley – fresh and bright.
Paired with a hint of lemon from fresh lemon zest and the sweet honey, it’s a dynamite combination!
You better get to it, this appetizer is calling your name. Or if you’re like me, it’s definitely a Friday night kind of dinner. Paired with some grilled baguette, it’s my perfect evening.
PrintWhipped Ricotta with Herbs and Honey
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Creamy whipped ricotta topped with fresh mint, parsley, honey, and a hint of fresh lemon. Serve with grilled baguette or fresh veggies for a crowd-pleasing appetizer!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta (the freshest you can get!)
- 2 TBSP fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 3 teaspoons honey
- Generous pinch of salt, to taste
- 1 demi baguette, sliced
Instructions
- Place ricotta in a small mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk ricotta for 1-2 minutes until it’s smooth and creamy. Place in a serving bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together mint, parsley, lemon zest, olive oil, honey, and salt. Pour on top of the whipped ricotta and serve with grilled baguette slices and/or vegetable slices.
Grilled Baguette: I brush a bit of melted butter (or olive oil) on baguette slices and place on a hot grill pan (or grill) for 1-2 minutes on each side until toasted.
- Category: Appetizer
Keywords: appetizer, easy, vegetarian, summer, spring
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