This is less a recipe than an assembly, and it is exactly the kind of thing worth having in your repertoire for precisely that reason: five minutes, a food processor or a sturdy whisk, and something genuinely worth putting on the table alongside good bread. We built it specifically to eat with our Rosemary Focaccia, where its cool, lemony brightness gives rosemary’s more resinous, savoury character something to sit against.

Why whipping matters

Ricotta straight from the tub is pleasant enough, but whipping it, ideally in a food processor for a minute or two rather than by hand, incorporates air and breaks down its slightly grainy curds into something genuinely smooth and spreadable, closer in texture to a whipped cream cheese than the ricotta most people are used to. That transformation is entirely mechanical, not a different ingredient, which makes it a satisfying trick for very little effort.

Serves

4 to 6, as a sharing dip

Prepare

10 minutes, no cooking

Ingredients

  • 250g full-fat ricotta (or feta, for a sharper, saltier version)
  • 2 tbsp good olive oil, plus extra to finish
  • Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus a squeeze of juice
  • 2 tbsp mixed soft fresh herbs, finely chopped (parsley, chives, dill, basil or a mixture)
  • 1 small garlic clove, very finely grated or crushed (optional)
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Whip the base

    Place the ricotta and olive oil in a food processor and blitz for a minute or two, scraping down the sides once, until noticeably smoother, lighter and paler than when you started. If working by hand, beat vigorously with a whisk for several minutes; it will not become quite as light, but it will still improve considerably.

  2. Season

    Fold in the lemon zest, a squeeze of juice, the garlic if using, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust; ricotta varies considerably in saltiness between brands, so start cautiously with the salt and add more once you have tasted it properly.

  3. Add the herbs last

    Fold in the chopped herbs by hand rather than blitzing them in, so they stay as distinct green flecks through the whipped base rather than colouring the whole thing a uniform green.

  4. Finish and serve

    Spread onto a plate or shallow bowl, swoosh the surface with the back of a spoon, and drizzle with a little more olive oil and a final scattering of herbs or a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately alongside warm focaccia, or chill and bring back to room temperature before serving, since ricotta firms up noticeably in the fridge.

Variations

Feta version. Swap the ricotta for feta for a sharper, saltier, more assertive dip; reduce the added salt considerably, since feta is already salty on its own.

Honey and chilli. A light drizzle of honey and a pinch of chilli flakes over the finished dip gives a sweet-hot contrast that works surprisingly well against the herbs.

Roasted garlic. Replace the raw garlic with a whole roasted garlic bulb, squeezed from its skin, for a mellower, sweeter garlic flavour throughout.

Storage

Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The herbs will lose a little of their brightness over that time, so it is genuinely best eaten within a day if possible.