Marinated 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
Scale
- 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!