Easy Appetizer Recipe: Baked Ricotta with Lemon, Garlic & Chives

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
Follow
published May 3, 2013
Be the first to leave a review!
Baked Ricotta with Lemon, Garlic, & Chives

Serves6 to 8

Jump to Recipe
Jump to Recipe
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Last month Megan declared baked ricotta “the best appetizer you haven’t met yet.” Intrigued (who wouldn’t be?), I gave it a try and suddenly baked ricotta is the best appetizer I’ve only recently met. It’s the new thing, the current crush, the little bite that perfectly straddles the divide between old-fashioned, stodgy hot appetizers and fresher, more modern tastes. If you like to have something hot on the table to start a party, then let us convince you to also make baked ricotta’s acquaintance.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

When planning my sister’s bridal shower, I decided I wanted to have a hot appetizer on the table as a nice complement to all the cold food (smoked salmon sandwiches, fruit, salad cups). Baked ricotta was of course the answer, especially since it was so easy. It took me literally 5 minutes to mix up this ricotta and put it in the oven, which is simply not much work for a hot appetizer that made the ladies swoon.

As Megan pointed out in her post, baked ricotta often includes an egg for a soufflé-like rise and airiness, but I skipped it here to keep things extra-easy and simple. This ricotta just has lemon, garlic, and chives, with a finishing drizzle of good olive oil.

Mix and bake, and the result is a creamy, warm dip that beats any store-bought cheese ball or dip with fresh flavors. We used nutty crackers to scoop up the dip, but it would also be wonderful on plain or toasted baguette.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
Comments

Baked Ricotta with Lemon, Garlic, & Chives

Serves 6 to 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 15 ounces

    (about 2 cups) whole milk ricotta

  • 1

    large lemon, zested and juiced

  • 2

    large cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 ounce

    fresh chives, minced (about 1/2 cup) 

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

  • Small crackers or slices of baguette, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 1/2- to 1-quart gratin dish or baking pan. 

  2. Mix the ricotta, lemon juice and zest, garlic, chives, and salt, and a generous quantity of fresh black pepper. Spread in the baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate the ricotta overnight, if desired.) 

  3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until hot. Drizzle again with olive oil. Serve immediately with crackers for dipping. 

(Images: Faith Durand)

Filed in:
appetizer
dairy
easy
quick