Baked Sicilian Ricotta Dip scented with Thyme and Marjoram

Warm and creamy with the aroma of fresh herbs wafting about and just the slightest hint of lemons…This baked Ricotta Dip is always a crowd pleaser at our house.

The thyme and marjoram came from our garden, the lemons from our tree, the red peppers, dried from last years pepper plants, the ricotta from just down the road about a mile and the extra virgin olive oil is our own that we pick and have cold pressed every October from our Tonda Iblea olive trees. It is such fun to make a recipe that uses so many of the good things that we grow right here in Sicily.

I use two tubs of fresh ricotta in this recipe which will make enough appetizer for 6 – 8 people. If you just want enough for the two of you, cut the recipe in half.

I like to add a few of the seeds into the mix and then sprinkle the rest on top before it goes in the oven.

That’s it… let’s mix it up and put it in the baking dish!

I don’t bake the dip with the thyme sprigs on top, they just turn dark brown and crisp. Wait till it’s out of the oven to add them!

Super HOT when it comes out of the oven….

We like to let the dip cool down a bit before digging in and it’s great cold too. Bagel chips, slices of baguette, carrot sticks, celery sticks all are great to serve with this dip as well as just having it on the side with your pan roasted chicken breasts or oven roasted pork loin.

This is such a healthy, wonderful recipe for us as we get our fresh ricotta just minutes away from our house and Sicilian ricotta is to die for! If you ever get a chance to watch ricotta being made the old fashioned Italian way in giant copper pots over a blazing fire, then served to you steaming hot in big ceramic (flower) pots, it is an unforgettable experience that you will not soon forget!

Oceans to Olives

Yields 6 to 8 servings as an appetizer or side dish

Baked Sicilian Ricotta Dip scented with Thyme and Marjoram

15 minPrep Time

35 minCook Time

50 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

(2) 16 ounce whole milk ricotta cheese (drained till quite dry)
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
5 cloves of garlic, finely minced (this does not make it too garlicky tasting at all)
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 TB fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
A pinch of wild Italian fennel (can use dried)
1 TB fresh marjoram leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon Alpine Touch (spicy black pepper) blend
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds or a mixture of both

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 218° C / 425°F degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, fennel, marjoram, crushed red pepper, black pepper, about a third of the seeds and extra virgin olive oil until the ingredients are well mixed.
Transfer the cheese to a medium oven-safe baking dish. Place it in the oven and bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until bubbly and lightly golden. If you are making a half batch you will need to bake a bit less, about 25 minutes. Keep a close eye the first time till you are sure of the timing.
Serve topped with the leftover sprigs of thyme and marjoram, flaked sea salt and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
***Try it with slices of toasted, chewy baguette or crisp Italian Carasau bread. Delicious!

Notes

*Carrot spears, celery spears, bagel chips or just alone as a side dish is a great way to try this dip. We like it with oven roasted chicken breasts or roasted pork loin.