It’s time for one more no-recipe recipe that’s a lot greater than the sum of its (5-ingredient) components. This one is a triple-threat combo of Instagram-gorgeous, mouthwateringly scrumptious, and really easy it comes collectively in simply 5 minutes. Meet my easy Ricotta Board with Pears and Honey-Toasted Pistachios. Creamy ricotta is unfold throughout a serving board, then topped with sliced winter pear, chopped honey-roasted pistachios (or hazelnuts, or almonds), a sprinkle of mint, and a drizzle of honey. Let’s get into it.
Whereas most of us shortly bored with the butter board pattern, I’m a believer that the ricotta board is right here to remain. For me, a bath of high-quality entire milk ricotta is the little black gown of your cheese drawer—it really works for any event and all the time feels elegant. And for those who don’t have any ricotta available, it’s nearly simply as simple to make your individual with simply milk, cream, salt, and lemon juice.
I really began making some model of this appetizer a pair summers in the past at our seashore home. I’d come residence from the farm stand with extra peaches, persimmons, and tomatoes than I knew what to do with, so we’d slice it up, add a handful of herbs and a few EVOO, then serve with creamy ricotta and a few grilled sourdough. (Word that this additionally works rather well with burrata.) For this model, I winterized the profitable combo with sliced pears and honeyed pistachios, and let’s simply say we devoured this in file time.
Right here’s the right way to make my ricotta board with pears and honeyed pistachios…
Put together the ricotta
It’s important that you simply use the very best high quality entire milk ricotta that yow will discover. You need it creamy and luscious, and if all yow will discover is the low-fat selection within the dairy aisle, then properly, you’d be higher off making your individual. (I promise, it’s simple!)
Step one is transferring your ricotta to a small mixing bowl, seasoning properly with kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper, and typically I add slightly honey if I need extra sweetness. Then, take a fork or a whisk and blend vigorously to lighten it up and make the ricotta spreadable.
Unfold it on the board
Be at liberty to get slightly inventive right here. I begin by dolloping the ricotta evenly round my handcrafted wooden serving board, leaving a border of an inch or two. Then I exploit the again of a spoon to unfold it round in order that it’s evenly distributed, however with some fairly swirls and texture.
Add pears and pistachios
I slice up my firm-but-ripe pear, and fan out the slices in an aesthetic manner over the cheese. What sort of pear is greatest? I like every agency winter pears (crimson or inexperienced) which have a pure sweetness—Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, or Seckel all work nice.
Then, I add chopped honeyed pistachios for that satisfying crunch that’s important to this board. With a recipe this straightforward, we’re actually going for all of the totally different textures to make this really feel fascinating and multi-layered. I really purchased Honey-Roasted Pistachios to make it very easy on myself, however you may caramelize your individual pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, or almonds and swap them in right here.
Add your remaining toppings
My ending touches on this ricotta board included recent mint leaves, and drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil and honey. Plus a pinch of flaky salt and freshly floor black pepper, after all. Serve with heat baguette slices for scooping up, and also you’ve bought what simply is perhaps the world’s most good appetizer. Or at the very least, it’s the one I’ll be making for the foreseeable future.
Scroll on for the recipe, and for those who make this, you’ll want to price and evaluation under.
