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Cherry Tomato Confit on Whipped Ricotta

Cherry Tomato Confit on Whipped Ricotta pairs blistered, jammy tomatoes slow-roasted in garlicky herb olive oil with cloud-smooth whipped ricotta. Spoon the liquid-gold oil over crostini for a bright, creamy finish with fresh basil.
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Prep Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Tomato confit base
  • 2 cup cherry tomatoes (mixed colors)
  • 0.5 cup olive oil
  • 5 clove garlic cloves smashed
  • 4 sprig fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt and black pepper to taste
Whipped ricotta
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt for ricotta
To serve
  • 1 crusty bread or crostini
  • 1 fresh basil
  • 1 flaky salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Roast the confit
  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F to get steady, gentle heat for jammy tomatoes.
  2. Place cherry tomatoes, smashed garlic cloves, fresh thyme sprigs, and red pepper flakes in a baking dish so they roast together and perfume the oil.
  3. Pour olive oil over everything and season with sugar, salt, and black pepper; stir gently so the tomatoes are coated and glisten.
  4. Roast for 1.5 hours at 300°F until the tomatoes are jammy and their skins are blistered, with the oil taking on a golden garlic-herb color.
Whip the ricotta
  1. Whip ricotta with olive oil and salt until cloud-smooth and spreadable.
Assemble
  1. Spread whipped ricotta on crusty bread or crostini to form an even creamy base.
  2. Spoon the cherry tomato confit over the ricotta with all the garlicky oil so each bite gets tomatoes and concentrated sauce.
  3. Finish with fresh basil and flaky salt so the top looks bright and the flavor pops.

Notes

Make sure the roasted oil reduces slightly and turns golden before assembling—this is what makes the confit taste concentrated. Store leftover confit in the fridge in a covered container for up to 4 days and rewarm gently; whipped ricotta keeps up to 2 days. Freeze confit (tomatoes and oil) for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and stir. For a lighter option, use part-skim ricotta and keep the olive oil to the listed amounts.