Baked Peppered Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Tomatoes
Fresh and easy appetizer for any occasion.
Ingredients
Fresh Ricotta Cheese
from Donna Hay magazine
makes 1 ¼ cups
6cups48 fl oz full cream milk
2Twhite vinegar
1teaspoonkosher salt
Ina saucepanadjust a candy thermometer to side and cook milk over medium heat to 176 degrees F. Remove from heat, add vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes until curds form. Line a colander with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Using a slotted spoon, Carefully transfer curds to the colander and allow to drain for 5 minutes. Spoon ricotta into a glass or ceramic dish, cover and store in refrigerator for up to one week.
Baked Peppered Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Tomatoes
inspired by Donna Hay magazine
serves 4-6 as an appetizer
for peppered ricotta crostini
1 ¼cupsfresh ricotta cheese
⅓cupgrated pecorino or parmesan cheese
1clovegarlicpressed
kosher salt
½teaspoonfresh cracked pepper
1teaspoonfresh thyme leaves
8slicesfrench or sourdough baguette
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a bowlcombine ricotta, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. Spoon ricotta into 2 large ramekins or other bake-to-serve vessel (6 oz) and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and golden. While ricotta is baking, lightly oil baguette slices and toast. To plate, serve baguette slices topped with baked ricotta mixture, roasted tomatoes* and sprinking of fresh thyme leaves. Serve additional ricotta on the side for extra dipping opportunities.
*for roasted tomatoes
1pintcherry tomatoes
olive oil
kosher salt
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a bowltoss tomatoes with a few drizzles of olive oil, just enough to coat. Cut tomatoes in half and place seed side up on a foil-covered cookie sheet, sprinkle with kosher salt and roast in oven for 2- 2/12 hours, depending on size of tomatoes. Remove when edges are crisped but tomatoes still have some plump. Store in olive oil for up to one week.