The dreamiest summer appetizer: marinated peppers & prosciutto with whipped ricotta. Sweet peppers charred until smoky and tender, thinly sliced and tossed with lots of vinegar, olive oil, and herbs. The ricotta is whipped until smooth and creamy. It all comes together with thinly sliced prosciutto and grilled bread. Let everyone pick and choose what they like…slathering the bread with the ricotta and mounding everything else on top for the perfect bite. You cannot go wrong with this combo!
I cannot believe we are starting off the last week of July! Summer is slowly drifting away and has left me wanting to savor the seasonal produce even more. It’s truly the best time for just about everything under the sun – berries, peppers, tomatoes, corn, melon, stone fruit, eggplant, etc. I’ve been buying loads of fruits and vegetables each week and getting as creative as possible to showcase all of these beautiful ingredients in the simplest, most delicious ways.
So far, raspberries turned into raspberry lemon ricotta muffins, zucchini starred in this easy zucchini pasta, and tomatoes resulted in the most refreshing heirloom tomato gazpacho.
My latest favorite? Marinated peppers with prosciutto, whipped ricotta, and grilled bread. An absolute knockout of an appetizer that’s pretty difficult to beat.
marinated peppers & prosciutto – details
Just like a cheese board, I love an appetizer that’s fun and interactive. One that allows everyone to nibble on what they love most, combining different elements any way they please. This recipe is similar in the sense that you can eat the prosciutto with the peppers, simply dip the bread in the ricotta, or layer everything onto the bread for a complete bite.
And the flavors are truly summer at it’s best. The peppers are charred on the grill until nice and smoky. They get peeled + sliced, then tossed with tangy vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, a little salt, and some fresh garden basil + oregano. This mixture just needs about 15 minutes marinating at room temperature to infuse all the flavors.
In the meantime, everything else comes together really quickly. The whipped ricotta is made right in a food processor. It’s blended with a little olive oil and salt, turning into the most irresistible spread ever. Perfect for slathering onto hot charred bread.
And finally? Just a little prosciutto for a salty bite. A great contrast to the creamy cheese and tangy peppers. I truly couldn’t think of a better summer app. I’ve made it twice now for my family to start off our Sunday dinner, and it’s been such a hit. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!
PrintMarinated Peppers & Prosciutto with Whipped Ricotta
a summer appetizer of tangy marinated peppers with lots of fresh herbs & thinly sliced prosciutto served with creamy whipped ricotta cheese and grilled bread
servings: 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs sweet bell peppers
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½ cup packed basil leaves, torn
- 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1 lb whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 baguette
- ¼ lb thinly sliced prosciutto
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the grill over high heat. Place the whole peppers onto the hottest part of the grill. Char until blackened on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Lower the heat to medium and cover the grill. Cook for about 15 more minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
- Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Allow to steam for 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Peel the peppers and discard the blackened skins. Remove the stems and as many seeds as possible. Thinly slice the peppers and add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add the red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, basil, and oregano to the peppers. Mix well and let marinate for about 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, add the ricotta cheese to a food processor, along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with a pinch of salt to taste.
- Slice the baguette into 3-4 inch pieces, then each piece in half lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil and grill each piece for a couple of minutes until slightly charred and crisp on both sides.
- Serve the whipped ricotta with freshly cracked black pepper over top and the marinated peppers, prosciutto, and grilled bread alongside. Eat as you wish, or spoon the ricotta onto the bread and mound the peppers and prosciutto on top to create little toasts.
Notes
You could use any variety of peppers you’d like. I mainly used red bell peppers, but I had also found some mild anaheim peppers so tossed those into the mix as well!
shop the dish: marinated peppers & prosciutto with whipped ricotta
