I find myself watching re-runs of Steven Raichlen’s grilling shows on PBS over and over. It seems that no matter how many times I’ve seen an episode I run across something that I have to add to my to-cook list. His wood-grilled blistered tomato and ricotta bruschetta hit me as something I needed to make and soon. So I did. This recipe proves that it really doesn’t take many ingredients or much time to make a delicious side dish. Some good bread, ricotta and cherry tomatoes and you’re just about done. I almost always have a grill going, and there’s always enough room left for a few tomatoes. This is fantastic summer-time dish, but you can make it year-round too!
There’s a wonderful contrast between the crunchy bread, the pop of the tomatoes, and the creaminess of the cheese in this grilled blistered tomato and ricotta bruschetta. Roasting the tomatoes adds such a wonderful flavor. I could’ve added fresh herbs like the original recipe called for, but decided to leave them out. I’m glad that I did.
I recommend that you use a grill basket when making the tomatoes for this dish. It makes cooking easier and you don’t have to worry about anything falling through the grates. And cleanup is easier too!
Grilled Blistered Tomato and Ricotta Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes get a mix of colors
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 6 slices bread use rustic-style bread, sliced thin
- 12 ounces ricotta cheese
- parsley or fresh herbs, such as thyme or chives, for garnishing
Instructions
- Fire up your grill for medium-high direct heat grilling.
- Spray a grilling basket with non-stick spray. You can also use a cast iron skillet or disposable pan.
- Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the tomatoes to the basket and place over direct heat.
- Grill until the tomatoes start to char and the skins pop. Shake or toss the tomatoes and grill the same on the other sides.
- Remove from grill and let cool slightly.
- Place the bread slices on the grill and toast slightly on both sides.
- Divide the cheese between the slices of bread, spreading it out evenly. Don't be shy with it. You might have extra cheese. You might not.
- Add the tomatoes to the cheese. You can slice them in half first if you want, specially the larger ones.
- Garnish liberally with parsley or fresh herbs and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
