Whipped ricotta toast with deep red, fresh cherries tossed in balsamic vinegar and scattered with some chopped basil leaves. So pretty, so easy and so delicious!
I love pretty things, don't you? When food looks pretty it has to taste just as good as it looks and this whipped ricotta toast with balsamic cherries it just that. It couldn't be easier to make (which I love as always) and tastes incredible. Why have I never tried cherries with balsamic vinegar before!?
I stumbled across a few recipes recently for cherry and goats cheese crostini. As delicious as it sounds I've totally overindulged in goats cheese recently. I mean I love it, especially a tangy, crumbly one with salty prosciutto crudo on crackers but you know when you just have too much of one thing? Well, that's been me with goats cheese recently.
The cherries however, looked absolutely gorgeous with their deep ruby red colour against the white, creamy cheese. I knew I wanted to recreate this somehow...step in the whipped ricotta.
How to make whipped ricotta
Whipped ricotta is basically just ricotta cheese whipped in a food processor for a few seconds until it's thick, creamy and velvety soft. I love it like this especially with a little lemon zest, it's perfect for sweet or savoury dishes and goes perfectly with the balsamic cherries.
The whipped ricotta is spread on some char grilled toasts. I love to cut thick slices to crusty bread, brush them with a little olive oil and place them on a hot griddle pan until toasted on each side. I do this for all crostini, bruschetta and toast recipes. I love the flavour of the charred grill marks and the peppery olive oil.
To make the balsamic cherries it's very simple. Cut the cherries in half and remove the stone and stalk. Add them to a bowl with a little balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and toss to coat them. That's it, all that's left to do is assemble the whipped ricotta toasts. Spread a layer of the whipped ricotta over the toasts then top with cherries, finally add a little scattering a finely chopped basil and serve. Enjoy for a light lunch, snack or aperitivo.
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Whipped Ricotta Toast with Balsamic Cherries
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz (250g) cherries
- 8.8 oz (250g) ricotta
- zest of ¼ lemon
- 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 small bunch basil , finely chopped
- 4 slices of ciabatta bread
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Brush each side of the bread with a little oil then place on a hot griddle pan until toasted on each side, there should be nice char marks on the bread.
- Cut the cherries in half and remove the stones and stalks. Add to a bowl with the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
- To make the whipped ricotta, add the ricotta to a food processor with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend for a couple seconds until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the toast generously with ricotta and top with cherries. Finally, scatter over some finely chopped basil and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Lilyw
It’s December, so I used pomegranate seeds instead of cherries. Added a little orange zest to the balsamic but kept everything else the same. Delicious.
Kate | My Little Larder
Cherries are not in season at the moment (we are in the depths of winter here in New Zealand) so I'll be saving this one up until summer but I'll be definitely making whipped ricotta this week! I've never made it before but you make it sound so easy! Yum!
Christina Shoemaker
If I whipped ricotta with lemon zest I would seriously lick the bowl. This sounds incredible. I'd happily eat my weight in these!
Jenn
This sounds amazing! I've never had balsamic with cherries, but I love both! The perfect summer appetizer with a glass of wine! 🙂
Noel Lizotte
Perfect for an appetizer on hot summer days! I love the combination of slightly salty, slightly sweet, slightly tart ... this would disappear in a hurry at my house.
Charla @ That Girl Cooks Healthy
I have a really strong weakness for cherries and seeing them topped on that toast makes them even more tempting.
Inside the rustic kitchen
I have a weakness for them too, thanks so much Charla!
Jagruti
OMG..this recipe is so so pretty! I could eat this for dessert too. So easy to prepare.
Inside the rustic kitchen
It's SO easy and yeah, great idea it could totally be dessert. Thanks so much!
Laura
I am Italian and I usually have fresh ricotta with honey on toasted crostini. Our cherry tree is finally starting to produce some cherries, but unfortunately, they were not enough and the birds came first. I am keeping this recipe for next year when I am sure we will have plenty. Thank you for the idea
Inside the rustic kitchen
No problem Laura, you're so lucky to have a cherry tree they are so pretty. I hope you catch them before the birds next year!