Description
Roasted Sweet Peppers with Whipped Ricotta and Cherry Tomatoes is a vibrant Mediterranean-style dish featuring smoky roasted peppers, creamy lemon-infused ricotta, and burst cherry tomatoes—ideal as an appetizer, light lunch, or mezze platter standout.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3–4 sweet bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), halved and deseeded
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 small garlic clove (optional, for oil infusion)
- Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Crusty bread or flatbread (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Place halved peppers skin-side up on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes or until skins blister and blacken slightly. Let cool, then peel off skins.
- On another tray, toss cherry tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes until they begin to burst.
- In a food processor, blend ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch of salt until fluffy and smooth. Optionally, infuse the remaining olive oil with a smashed garlic clove over low heat and drizzle before serving.
- Spread whipped ricotta onto a serving platter. Arrange roasted peppers and tomatoes over the ricotta.
- Drizzle with olive oil, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve warm or at room temperature with bread if desired.
Notes
- Peel the roasted peppers for better texture and concentrated sweetness.
- Drain ricotta beforehand if it’s too wet to ensure a creamy consistency.
- Lemon zest is key—it brightens the rich ricotta beautifully.
- Serve as part of a mezze spread or as a topping on grilled proteins or grains.
- Bring whipped ricotta to room temperature before serving for best texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 20mg