tomato and ricotta toast
photo by Rob Soegtro
Is there anything better than cocktail hour on a Saturday, with a drink in one hand, and a tasty bite in the other? This tomato and ricotta toast recipe is the perfect little appetizer and it’s ready in just minutes, so that you don’t have to spend your whole Saturday afternoon indoors prepping. The combination of roasted tomatoes, creamy ricotta and basil is perfection. This is a great way to use up that fresh sourdough you’ve been working on, and those over-ripe tomatoes you don’t know what to do with. Happy cocktail hour!
Tomato and Ricotta Toast
Total time: 15 minutes
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 as an appetizer
Ingredients
2 roma tomatoes (or whatever tomatoes you’ve got on hand)
1 cup ricotta (250g)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest (about ½ lemon)
½ tsp salt and pepper
4 slices of fresh sourdough, baguette, or whatever bread you’ve got on hand
Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and arrange along a grill-safe baking dish or piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with about 1.5 tbsp of olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are beautifully charred and slightly blistered.
- In the meantime, prepare the ricotta. Combine the ricotta with 1 tsp of olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Once the tomatoes are almost ready, brush both sides of the sliced bread with olive oil, and grill each side for about 2 minutes, or until nice and toasty and charred. Remove the toast and tomatoes from grill when ready.
- Assemble the toast by first spreading a good spoonful of ricotta, and topping with 2 slices of tomato and fresh basil. Garnish with fresh black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
photo by Rob Soegtrop