This whipped honey ricotta recipe is topped with a delicious saffron infused tomato confit. It’s best served with olive oil grilled bread for dipping. It’s a fun and flavorful appetizer to use up all of your summer tomatoes or a great way to make winter tomatoes taste even better!
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What is Whipped Honey Ricotta with Saffron Tomato Confit
Whipped Honey Ricotta with Saffron Tomato Confit is a delightful dish that's the perfect appetizer for fresh summer tomatoes or not-so-great winter tomatoes.
Imagine creamy, lush ricotta whipped to cloud-like perfection, with the faintest kiss of honey and lemon zest swirling in its velvety folds.
But we don't stop there. Enter the saffron tomato confit - a melody of tomatoes slow-cooked in an aromatic blend of saffron, olive oil, and roasted garlic.
When paired together, the contrasting elements of this dish bring you a harmonious symphony of tastes and textures.
The result is an elegant dish that marries the simple comforts of home cooking with the refinement of gourmet cuisine.
It's something to be savored and shared, paired with a crisp glass of white wine and the warming glow of good company.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For The Saffron Tomato Confit
- Cherry Tomatoes - Grape tomatoes will also work just fine!
- Garlic Cloves - Big whole cloves are garlic work best for this recipe but you could also swap for shallots.
- Olive oil - Olive oil is best since we're doing a confit, but you could also use another high quality fat if you'd rather do that.
- Red Pepper Flakes - This dish isn't spicy but it does add a little nuanced kick that makes it even more delicious.
- Saffron - If you don't have saffron or don't like it, this dish is still perfect without it!
For The Whipped Honey Ricotta
- Ricotta - Goat cheese, feta, whipped cream cheese or even boursin would be good substitutions if you're looking for one.
- Honey - No sub for the honey in this recipe!
- Olive oil - We're using a nice finishing olive oil for this dish which adds just a tiny bit of depth to the ricotta.
- Lemon Zest - You could swap the lemon zest for orange zest if you'd like.
How to make it
Making this whipped honey ricotta and tomato confit is super easy!
To begin, start by preheating your oven to 425F degrees.
Next, add cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper flakes to a small baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes then remove from heat.
As soon as you pull it out of the oven, add saffron threads. Gently stir to release its aroma and flavors.
While the tomatoes are cooking, you'll want to prepare the whipped honey ricotta.
First, you'll just want to add ricotta, honey, olive oil, one pinch of salt and lemon zest to a medium sized bowl.
Whip this mixture until its light and fluffy.
Once the tomatoes are ready, add the honey whipped ricotta to a large serving bowl and smear it all over the bottom.
Now you're just going to add the roasted tomatoes and garlic on top of the ricotta, lightly drizzling any of the remaining olive oil on top.
I think this appetizer is best served with olive oil grilled ciabatta.
What goes with Whipped Honey Ricotta
For starters to go with this easy appetizer Whipped Honey Ricotta with Saffron Tomato Confit, I'd start with my dirty martini pasta salad or even a Burrata caprese.
I'd also pair this dish with a tasty avocado grilled cheese, cheesy baked buffalo chicken meatball skillet, truffle smash burger grilled cheese or to keep with a vegetarian theme, try my creamy Caramelized Zucchini Pasta.
For dessert, I suggest my easy 4 ingredient nutella fudge or my easy no bake key lime pie.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make whipped ricotta not grainy?
Whip the ricotta until it is smooth and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer, stand mixer, or food processor. If it's overly grainy, it's probably not a high quality ricotta. And there's not a whole lot you can do about that.
How long is whipped ricotta shelf life?
The shelf life of whipped ricotta depends on how it is stored. If it is stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it will last for 2-3 days.
Can you freeze tomato confit?
Yes, you can freeze tomato confit but I don't really recommend it as the quality isn't quite the same after it defrosted.
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Recipe
Whipped Honey Ricotta with Saffron Tomato Confit
Ingredients
For the Saffron Tomato Confit
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- ½ cup garlic cloves peeled
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch saffron threads
For the Whipped Honey Ricotta
- 1 15 oz container full fat ricotta
- 2-3 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon finishing olive oil
- 1 lemon zested only
Instructions
For The Tomatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.
- Add cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, a hefty pinch of salt, andpepper flakes to a small baking dish.
- Bake for 45 minutes then remove from heat. Immediately add saffron threads and stir. Set aside.
For The Ricotta
- While the tomatoes are cooking, whip together ricotta, honey, olive oil, one hefty pinch of salt and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Stir and set aside.
For the finished dish
- Once the tomatoes are ready, add the honey whipped ricotta to a large serving bowl and evenly cover the bottom of the bowl.
- Add the roasted tomato and garlic confit on top of the ricotta, gently drizzling the remaining olive oil on top.
- Serve with olive oil toasted bread and enjoy!
