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Whipped ricotta is one of those divine menu items that high-end restaurants will charge you a hefty sum to enjoy with a piece of toast—and why shouldn’t they? It’s silky, creamy, and a decadent appetizer you’d never be able to make, right? Well, I don’t want to ruin your favorite restaurant for you, but I do have to destroy the mystique of whipped ricotta. Only because it’s the easiest cheese hack there is, and you should use it to make the best restaurant-quality appetizer for the holidays, even if you only have access to mediocre ricotta.
Whipped ricotta sounds like you’d be implementing the same method you’d use for whipped cream. While that’s kind of true, you’re not beholden to the same finicky results. Whipped cream has discernible peaks you have to look out for or you could ruin it. Whipped ricotta is not meant to blow up the same way; instead, it becomes silky and light.
Left: ricotta cheese straight from the container. Right: Ricotta after blending.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Ricotta straight out of the container is smooth, but you can see in the picture that it has a graininess to it. That’s not a bad thing: in fact, those mini curds are part of what makes ricotta special. When you blend it, the curd texture is refined until it becomes velvety smooth. It gives the overall texture more bounce and even the flavor will become less watery.
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How to make whipped ricotta
Make whipped ricotta in a food processor, or, for even less clean up, use an immersion blender. I love my immersion blender, so I use it any chance I get. Simply dump a container of regular ricotta cheese into a tall measuring cup and blend it for about 20 seconds. The cheese is thick, so I’ll stop and readjust the positioning every now and then to make sure I’ve blended it all. That’s it. Scoop or decoratively pipe the silken cheese on baguette slices, or add it to a serving bowl for guests to use as a dip. Sprinkle it with flaky salt, herbs, crisp pancetta, or drizzle it with olive oil before serving.
Some recipes will suggest adding herbs, seasonings, or oils to the ricotta before blending. This is absolutely up to you, but I think doing this can potentially interfere with the texture. I prefer to dress up the cheese after it’s whipped, which looks beautiful and allows the silky cheese to stand out.
One 15-ounce container of ricotta will make enough cheese to generously top 15 to 25 slices of toasted baguette. Be aware, if you make the following recipe, you will have to field questions on how you made it. It’s up to you whether you give up your restaurant secret or not.
Whipped Ricotta Toast with Pesto Recipe
Ingredients:
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1 (15-ounce) tub of ricotta cheese
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15 to 25 slices of baguette, toasted
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¼ cup of pesto
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2 slices of prosciutto
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Flaky salt for sprinkling
1. Rip the prosciutto into small shreds, about the size of a quarter. Fry them in a pan until crisp, about two minutes over medium heat.
2. Add the ricotta to a tall glass or measuring cup. Use an immersion blender to blend it until smooth and glossy, about 20 seconds. Alternatively, use a food processor and blend the ricotta.
3. Arrange the slices of toast on a serving platter. Spoon or use a piping bag to generously apply the cheese to the toast.
4. Use a small spoon to dab a bit of pesto onto each serving. Add a couple pieces of crispy prosciutto to each toast, and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve immediately.
