Treat your guests to this amazing Baked Ricotta … this hot Ricotta Dip is decadent, delicious, and so easy to make!
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Have you ever loved a food so much that you just couldn’t stop thinking about it?
That is exactly what happened here. This summer, my friend and I stopped by a local restaurant for drinks and dinner. At the last minute, we added a Baked Ricotta appetizer, and I’m so glad we did!
That decadent dip ended up being our favorite part of the meal, and we neglected the rest of our food just so we could eat all of it. Whenever we get together now, we still talk about how delicious it was.
So of course, I had to recreate it, and this crave-worthy Baked Ricotta Dip is the result. One bite, and you won’t be able to stop talking about this easy appetizer recipe either!
Baked Ricotta
If you’re never had Baked Ricotta Cheese before, then you’re in for a treat!
I often think of ricotta as a creamy, mild, and somewhat bland cheese. It needs a little something to help it out flavor-wise, you know what I mean? Which is why we almost bypassed that amazing appetizer.
This mouthwatering Ricotta Cheese Dip is anything but bland though. In fact, it has so much flavor that you should probably just go ahead and make a double batch (trust me).
I love serving this easy baked dip for parties or even a lazy Friday night at home. You really can’t go wrong with a recipe this delicious!
Baked Ricotta Dip Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this hot Ricotta Dip:
- Roasted Garlic
- Ricotta Cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Truffle Salt
- Fresh Lemon Zest
This recipe is truly simple, but you do need to make roasted garlic. The recipe for roasted garlic is super easy (I’ll show you how below), and it adds tons of flavor to the baked cheese … so don’t skip it!
Truffle Salt is the other specialty ingredient needed for this dip. This salt adds a really unique, deep flavor to the dip. I know it’s pretty pricey, but the dip really isn’t the same without it.
A little goes a long way with truffle salt, and you can use it to garnish so many different dishes: french fries, popcorn, salads, avocado toast, mac and cheese, etc. Give it a try … it’s sooo delicious!
How to Make Baked Ricotta
Let’s get started on this easy ricotta appetizer!
The first thing you need to do is roast the garlic. Begin by removing the papery skin on the outside of the garlic head (leaving the cloves intact).
Then, use a sharp knife to cut the tops off the cloves. You want to get all the cloves, so trim the ones on the sides separately, if necessary.
Drizzle the garlic with olive oil, then rub it into the tops of the garlic with your fingers. Sprinkle the garlic lightly with salt, then wrap it in aluminum foil and bake until the cloves are tender and browned. It should take about 40 to 50 minutes … I like to check the garlic at about 40 minutes, then go from there.
Tip: You can roast the garlic ahead of time, if you prefer. Just throw a head or two in the oven the next time you’re baking something.
Once the garlic has finished roasting and is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves from their skins. Then give the garlic a quick, rough chop. Don’t go overboard with the chopping, there should be some big chunks.
Add the garlic to a bowl, along with the ricotta, mozzarella, lemon zest, and truffle salt.
Roasted garlic tends to stick together, so mix everything really well. Give the dip a taste, and add more salt to taste, if desired.
Tip: if you’re worried about adding a whole head of garlic to this dip, don’t be! Roasted garlic is much milder tasting than fresh garlic.
Spread the ricotta mixture to an oiled skillet or pie pan. Then sprinkle it with more mozzarella.
Bake your ricotta just until it’s hot and starting to brown around the edges. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes.
Doesn’t that Baked Ricotta Cheese look amazing? I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to dig in.
This easy ricotta appetizer is perfect for parties. Make the ricotta mixture ahead of time, then bake it right before you’re ready to eat.
And a word of warning … if you’re serving a crowd, you may want to double this recipe. It’s impossible to stop eating this Ricotta Dip once you get started, and it goes fast!
What to Pair with Ricotta Dip
This tasty Ricotta Cheese Dip pairs perfectly with bread! Serve it with your fave artisan bread or grill it like I did.
I simply brushed slices of Italian bread with olive oil, then cooked them in my grill pan just until I got those pretty marks. And I served a few veggies along the side so I didn’t feel too guilty about all that bread and cheese. Ha!
You could also serve this Ricotta Dip with homemade pita chips or even garlic bread, if you want to get truly decadent.
Turn this dip into an indulgent meal by pairing it with a light salad (try this Quick Chopped Salad or this Roasted Pumpkin Salad) and a glass of wine. Of course, it’s the perfect start to a bigger feast, and I created this recipe as part of a holiday menu plan … I’ll be sharing all the recipes later this week!
Looking for similar recipes?
If you like this Ricotta Bake, then you’ll enjoy these other baked dips, too: Baked Brie, Cheesy Baked Black Bean Dip, or Mexican Baked Spinach Dip. Looking for more ricotta cheese recipes? Then, try my White Pizza, Lemon Ricotta Pasta, Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Shells, Four Cheese Calzones, or my popular Mushroom Ricotta Open-Faced Sandwich.
Baked Ricotta
Ingredients
For Roasted Garlic:
- 1 large head garlic
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
For Baked Ricotta:
- 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
- 3/4 teaspoon truffle salt
Instructions
Prepare Roasted Garlic:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove excess papery skin from garlic head, leaving cloves intact. Use a sharp knife to slice tops off cloves.
- Drizzle garlic with oil, then rub oil over cloves. Sprinkle garlic lightly with salt.
- Wrap garlic in foil, then roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until browned and tender. Set aside to cool.
Prepare Baked Ricotta:
- When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic cloves from skins, then roughly chop.
- Add garlic, ricotta, HALF the mozzarella, lemon zest, and truffle salt to a medium bowl. Mix well.
- Lightly oil a medium, oven-safe skillet (or pie pan), then add ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake ricotta until hot and browned around edges, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve Ricotta Dip hot with bread and veggies, such as carrots and grape tomatoes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
What is your favorite party appetizer?
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