Golden, cheesy, and creamy, this baked ricotta is savory and delicious, with lemon zest, fresh thyme, and Parmesan. Baked until puffed and spoonable, it’s an easy yet elegant appetizer that pairs perfectly with crostini, crackers, or crusty bread. Simple to prepare and impressive to serve, this lemon-herb ricotta is ideal for entertaining — or an elevated girl dinner.
Can we have a moment for ricotta?
I know that cottage cheese has been trending like whoa lately, but for just a sec, can we turn our attention to its slightly more sophisticated European cousin?
Ricotta is cool, it's creamy, and it packs in just as much protein as cottage cheese does. You can bloop it into an easy vegetarian baked ziti with ricotta, you can spread it thick to make unbelievably good ricotta toast, and you bake it into an easy and delicious appetizer.
We're stirring fresh, creamy ricotta together with an egg (which helps puff it up and adds protein!), lemon zest, fresh thyme, a bit of freshly grated Parmesan (or an equivalent vegetarian hard cheese), and a drizzle of olive oil on top to finish it off.
The ricotta mixture is spooned into a ramekin, baked until golden and dramatically puffed, and then served hot with crackers, crostini, or crusty bread. It's a perfect warm addition to an appetizer platter, and, frankly, if you throw a handful of grapes and fresh veggies onto the platter, it makes a mighty fine girl dinner.
Let's make baked ricotta together!
Ok, friend, let me show you just how easy this is. I recently made this savory baked ricotta while recovering from shoulder surgery using only my left hand — it's that easy. If you'd prefer to skip straight to the recipe, by all means use the "jump" button at the top of this post, or join me for a visual walkthrough.
Step 1: mix the ricotta and seasonings
Step 2: add the egg
Step 3: transfer the mixture
Step 4: garnish
Step 5: bake
Step 6: serve!
Baked Ricotta with Lemon, Thyme, and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 cup full fat ricotta 250 grams / 9 ounces
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon thyme leaves finely minced
- pinch red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Grease 2-cup ramekin with butter.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the ricotta, lemon zest, minced thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir this mixture together, taste it, and adjust the seasoning as necessary.1 cup full fat ricotta, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 1 Tablespoon thyme leaves, pinch red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Add the egg, and stir well to combine.1 large egg
- Using a spatula, transfer the ricotta cheese mixture to the prepared ramekin.
- Drizzle the top with olive oil, and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top.1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
- Place the ramekin into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the cheese mixture is puffed up.
- Remove from the oven, allow the baked cotta to cool ever so slightly, and serve with crackers, crostini, or crusty bread.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only and are based on 4 servings.
- Please be sure to use full-fat ricotta for this recipe. If you can't find European-style full-fat ricotta, you can stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream into skim milk and ricotta, then proceed with the recipe as written.
- I like to stir everything together except the egg first so that I can taste the mixture and adjust seasonings before adding the egg.
- This recipe can be baked in two smaller ramekins, but I like using one larger ramekin as it makes a dramatic centerpiece of a cheeseboard or appetizer spread.
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🧀 A note on serving sizes
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As an appetizer:
✔️ Serves 4 comfortably when paired with crostini, crackers, or veggies -
As part of a cheeseboard or “girl dinner”:
✔️ Serves 2–3 as a more substantial centerpiece -
As a solo snack/light meal:
✔️ Serves 1–2, depending on enthusiasm 😉
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As an appetizer:
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