Baked Ricotta Dip

Warm, creamy baked ricotta dip with Parmesan, garlic, and Italian herbs — golden on top, perfectly soft inside. Mix in one bowl, bake, and serve with crusty bread for an easy appetizer that comes together in 30 minutes.

Course Appetizer, Dip, Snack

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword baked ricotta dip, creamy, oven baked, ricotta cheese, ricotta mixture

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 25

Servings people

Calories 299kcal

Author Sireesha A.

Equipment

small oven-safe baking dish or ramekin (2-cup capacity)
Mixing Bowl(s)
spatula or spoon
zester for lemon zest
garlic press

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk ricotta
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes chopped
1 tablespoon oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
½ teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta and egg until smooth.
Add the garlic, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Fold in sun-dried tomatoes with oil, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes.
Transfer the mixture to a small oven-safe baking dish or ramekin.
Bake the dip for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden but the center is still creamy.
Remove from the oven and drizzle the dip with a little olive oil.
Finish with fresh thyme and serve with a toasted baguette or focaccia.

Notes

Additional Recipe Tips and Notes

You can substitute some ricotta for the cottage cheese. Use 1 ½ cups of ricotta and ½ cup of the cottage cheese. The dip will have more protein, but it will be lighter in texture. Make sure to blend the cottage cheese and ricotta in a high-power blender.
For the best results, use whole milk ricotta. If the ricotta is very wet, drain it briefly before use. Any extra liquid will mess with the texture of the dip.
Do not skip the lemon zest because it brightens the flavor.
Let the baked ricotta dip rest for 5-10 minutes after baking. This helps it set while staying creamy.
For some extra depth in flavor use Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan cheese. Use freshly grated cheese.

Nutrition