Adorn your homemade sourdough bread with it, or try with walnut and raisin sourdough for a step beyond the stellar. Have you ever wondered what the ancient Greek gods in their flowing togas and Romans in their tunics dined on? No? OK, me neither until my first taste of whipped ricotta dip. And then I had an epiphany. This subtle-flavoured, pure white cheese that dates back centuries BC is surely the mythical ambrosia enjoyed by ancient deities?
How to make it
Preparing this ambrosial dip couldn’t be easier: you just mix the ricotta cheese with lemon zest and juice and then salt to your taste. For a fluffy, airy whip of a dip use a blender or food processor to blend away the trademark curds. But if you like a little texture and grain, keep it rough and ready by gently mixing by hand. Its mild flavour makes ricotta cheese infinitely versatile. It goes with almost anything! For this recipe, I’ve paired it with tomato and basil pesto for a contrasting sharpness and sweetness. Finally, smooth the finished dip over a serving plate with the back of a spoon, add a dollop of the basil pesto and crown with the roasted tomatoes. Or for individual servings, heap a decent helping of the dip onto thick cut sourdough, drizzle with the pesto and top with a few of the tomatoes.
What flavours to use
How do you like your whipped ricotta toast? Sweet and delicate or of a more savoury variety? I like mine sweet in the morning and with a salty edge any other time of the day. Or if you like yours with a salty tang try our whipped ricotta and feta dip with mint pistachio pesto. For a god-worthy breakfast; slice ripe figs and drizzle with honey; mound roasted cherries in their syrup; or add salted chocolate chips with crushed pistachios. For a quick cloud-light lunch; this basil pesto and roasted cherry tomato recipe; or sun-dried tomato pesto; or top with cured ham. If you want to take your time and indulge yourself; roasted aubergine slices and parsley; sautéed courgette, lemon zest and fresh mint; or crispy bacon.
Storage and leftovers
Seal any leftover dip well and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Ricotta, like other whey cheeses, go bad comparatively quickly. Any sign of discolouration and it needs to go!
More Dip Recipes to Try
Green Goddess Dip Creamy Cilantro and Walnut Dip Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip) Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper Dip) Whipped Feta Dip with Everything Bagel Seasoning
