Herbed Whipped Ricotta
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Easy to make and economical, this whipped ricotta is every ricotta lover’s dream come true. It’s fresh, creamy, herbed, garlicky and goes so well with just about anything.
Added bonus? It’s ready in less than 5 minutes and guaranteed to be a hit.
I love ricotta. A lot. I use this soft Italian cheese in many of my recipes, from this lemon pasta to this 1-pot tomato pasta, from this sweet strawberry cake to this raspberry bread.
And it will come as no surprise to you that this soft cheese makes also an amazing easy breezy dip that is fluffy, creamy and perfect for entertaining.
For this recipe, which is a loose version of the popular Boursin flavoured with garlic & herbs, all you do is blend fresh ricotta, garlic, herbs and a touch of olive oil until smooth and fluffy.
And while we mostly just devour this whipped ricotta as a dip in our house (especially with crusty panini rolls), it also works great as a spread, condiment, sauce… the list is almost endless.
Serve it up with crusty bread, crackers or any of your favorite veggies. It’s really delicious with all kinds of dippers (chips, bread, pretzels, veggie sticks — you name it).
This is the perfect crowd-pleaser ready in just 5 minutes and it’s great if you serve serve it with warm focaccia, crispy breadsticks or on a platter along with more delicious Italian appetizers!
List of the ingredients
- Ricotta cheese
- Garlic
- Fresh or dried herbs
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Chili flakes (optional)
- Salt & pepper
How to make whipped ricotta
(Note: this is a quick description, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Blend ricotta, salt, pepper, and grated garlic in a food processor for about one minute or until smooth and fluffy.
- Stir in the olive oil and the herbs, pulse until well combined and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Serve with crusty bread, crackers or your fav dipper!
Recipe notes
Ingredients & substitutions
Ricotta: I advice you to go for whole milk ricotta that tastes more delicious than skim ricotta cheese and also whips up much fluffier.
Garlic: I used a small garlic clove, finely grated with a microplane, but some garlic powder would do too if you wish. However, go easy on garlic or it can be very prominent.
Herbs: I used fresh chives and parsley, they pair so well with fresh ricotta. For convenience you can also use pantry staples such as dried herbs, they make a good alternative to fresh herbs and still pack plenty of flavor.
Extra virgin olive oil: use a touch of your best olive oil here, it brings more flavor.
Chili flakes: for a nice touch of heat, but it’s totally optional.
Salt & pepper: I used white pepper but black pepper works fine too. Make sure to adjust the seasoning to your taste.
How to use whipped ricotta?
We love the texture and the garlic flavor of this herbed ricotta, and we spread it liberally on crusty bread and toasts. But it’s also great when tossed with garlic and olive oil spaghetti, to add richness to a tomato sauce, or to enjoy fresh or roasted veggies. It’s very versatile.
Love ricotta?
If you wonder how to use the fresh Italian ricotta, you might be interested in this collection of scrumptious ricotta recipes. Just to name a few:
- Ricotta meatballs
- Mushroom ricotta pasta
- Ricotta crostini with peas
- Lemon ricotta cake
- Whipped ricotta crostini
- Easy cake with ricotta
- Pizza with ricotta
More italian appetizers
To bring more Italian flavors to your table, have a look at these terrific appetizer recipes, they’re perfect for a dinner party!
You can make quick and easy recipes like caprese skewers, spicy olives, sun dried tomato paste or chickpeas bruschetta or impress with these scrumptious Italian rice balls.
Lastly, if you make this whipped ricotta with herbs or you have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x
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Whipped Ricotta with Herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 grams) whole-milk ricotta cheese
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon white or black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon fresh garlic, grated (or sub ¼ scant tsp garlic powder)
- 1 ½ tablespoon chives, chopped (or sub 1 tsp dried)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
- 1 ½ tablespoon parsley, chopped (or sub 1 tsp Italian seasoning or dried parsley)
- chili flakes, to sprinkle (optional)
Instructions
- Place ricotta cheese, salt, pepper and garlic in a food processor. Blitz on high speed for 60 seconds or until pretty smooth, scraping down the sides once. (I tried the same recipe with a blender but it doesn't work, if you don't have a food processor, beat it vigorously with a whisker until smooth).
- With the motor running, add the olive oil through the feeder then blitz until the dip is creamy.
- Stir in the herbs and pulse again until well combined and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and make sure you're happy with the seasoning.
- Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of chili flakes aand serve with your fav dipper (crackers/veggies/breadsticks…). Alternatively, place it in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3 days.
Delicious!! highly recommend the fresh garlic as well. I did eant to note that making homemade ricotta is a game chabger for those who don’t usually like it. its much softer and creamier than the store bought in my opinion. Thank you for the recipe! I will share with others!
What a wonderful feedback, Sarah!
Thanks for sharing. : )
It was not very good. whoever thought that ricotta cheese would make a good dip was wrong
Sorry, shame you didn’t like it, Mary.