Whipped Peas & Ricotta with Grilled Bread

Some of my favorite things to grow in the garden are peas. Snow peas, sugar snap peas and garden peas are all winners in my book. Peas are cool weather crops so I plant them early, around mid-April, along with lettuces, radishes and green beans. Come June, I love making green salads with lots of garden-grown lettuce and peas and homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.  We throw peas into a stir fries and roast them in the oven with a bit of sea salt. Still, my favorite way to eat peas is in their raw and natural state. I’ll pile the peas, still in their pods, onto a crudité platter with some ranch dressing and just dip away. Eventually, though, as the season goes on and the peas are still plentiful you’ve got to get creative. When this happens, try this Whipped Peas & Ricotta with Grilled Bread.

What’s in Whipped Pea & Ricotta Spread?

This spread is mild, creamy and totally spreadable. And it’s the prettiest shade of mint green. I just love it. Speaking of mint, there’s a little bit of it in there too, which lends a really fresh, clean flavor. If you really want to make this Whipped Peas & Ricotta with Grilled Bread light, go for part skim ricotta cheese. Still just as creamy as whole milk ricotta, just fluffier. A whole milk ricotta will yield a richer, more dense spread. I like them both for different reasons. If I’m having a particularly “skinny” week, I’ll shoot the moon and use the whole milk ricotta. Then again, it’s bikini season. Choose wisely.

The peas you use for this spread can be fresh or frozen, and then you’ll need a bit of lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and – my secret weapon ingredient – fish sauce. Don’t be grossed out by the name or even the smell, which – spoiler alert – isn’t great. Fish sauce adds an awesome, tangy umami flavor to this otherwise super mild spread. Trust me once it’s in there, you won’t be able to taste it specifically. You’ll just taste deliciousness.

What to serve with Whipped Peas & Ricotta

So why the grilled bread? Why not crackers or veggies? Cause I don’t know if you heard, but I’m a bread baker now! We finally have a live and active sourdough starter, and The Big Guy is completely addicted to making our own bread. Don’t get me wrong, I love making our own bread. There is something so deeply satisfying about the entire process, and when the aroma fills your kitchen and you lift the lid off of the Dutch oven for the first time to reveal this perfectly golden, crusty loaf, it’s one of the best moments ever. But The Big Guy? He wants to do it like, every day.

Grilled bread, brushed with a little olive oil and rubbed with a clove of garlic, is heavenly, even when you don’t make the loaf yourself. But yes, crackers and veggies are also completely acceptable options to enjoy this Whipped Peas & Ricotta with Grilled Bread with.

I love kicking off a summer meal with this dip. Make it ahead of time, throw the bread on the grill and serve it up when you’re ready. It tastes great right out of the fridge or slightly warmed to room temperature. I hope you love it too. Enjoy!

Whipped Peas & Ricotta with Grilled Bread

A light & fluffy summer spread with fresh mint & lemon, great for kicking off any al fresco meal

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 0 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup shelled peas fresh or frozen
• 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. mint leaves chopped
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 loaf of sourdough bread sliced

Instructions

 

• Heat a small pot of water to boiling. Add the peas and cook for one minute. Drain the peas and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water. Once they are cool, drain again and add to a food processor.
• Add all remaining ingredients to the food processor and puree until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Heat grill to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil and grill until toasty. Serve with the pea dip.

Keyword appetizers, easy, ricotta

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