Tomato Ricotta Toast (Printer-Friendly)

Creamy whipped ricotta topped with warm roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and olive oil on toasted bread.

# What You Need:

→ Roasted Tomatoes

01 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
02 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
03 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

→ Whipped Ricotta

06 - 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
07 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
09 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
10 - 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Assembly

11 - 4 slices rustic sourdough or country bread
12 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish
13 - Additional extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
14 - Flaky sea salt to finish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat oven to 400°F.
02 - Arrange halved cherry tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and caramelized.
03 - While tomatoes roast, combine ricotta cheese, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blend with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
04 - Toast bread slices until golden brown using a toaster or grill.
05 - Spread a generous layer of whipped ricotta onto each toasted slice.
06 - Top each ricotta toast with warm roasted tomatoes. Drizzle with additional olive oil and garnish with fresh basil leaves and flaky sea salt.
07 - Serve immediately while warm.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen, but you're really only actively working for about five minutes.
  • The whipped ricotta is so creamy and tangy it almost feels like cheating, like you unlocked a secret level of toast.
  • Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their sweetness in a way that makes even winter tomatoes taste like summer.
  • It works for breakfast, lunch, or that weird 4 p.m. moment when you need something more satisfying than a snack but less than dinner.
02 -
  • Don't skip lining the baking sheet, I learned this the hard way when tomato juices baked into a sticky, nearly impossible to scrub layer.
  • If your ricotta is watery or grainy, it won't whip properly, drain off any excess liquid and make sure it's whole milk for the creamiest texture.
  • Roasting time depends on the size of your tomatoes, check them at 15 minutes and give them more time if they're still firm.
03 -
  • If you want to meal prep, roast a double batch of tomatoes and keep them in olive oil in the fridge, they'll last up to a week and taste even better as they marinate.
  • For extra richness, add a tablespoon of grated Parmesan to the ricotta before whipping, it adds a subtle savory depth without overpowering the other flavors.
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest so you get only the fragrant yellow part, the white pith underneath is bitter and will throw off the balance.
Go Back