If you had to ask me my favorite cheese, ricotta would undeniably be it, and I think this ricotta bowl proves that. I’ve lovingly dubbed these “cheese bowls” because I am a FIRM believer that you can eat a pile of cheese and call it dinner. Cottage cheese is having a moment, but I’m still a true advocate for ricotta being the best kind of cheese for any make-my-dinner-a-bowl-of-cheese endeavor. Full stop.
This ricotta bowl is not your ordinary ricotta bowl though. I have been craving the vegetables of spring (we are. so. close.) and I caved with these sugar snap peas and bitter treviso lettuce. They get tossed in a bright and zesty Italian salsa verde (with preserved lemon, we’re fancy) and piled high on top of ricotta and toast. The cheese is your protein, the toast is your carbs, and the veg is your ~health~, how can you not call a bowl of cheese a meal?
But to be fair, it is a lot packed into one bowl, so read on for all the steps to make it, and then you’ll see that a bowl of cheese can really be quite doable.
Table of contents
Ingredients you will need for this charred spring pea and ricotta bowl
The ingredients for this bowl might seem like a lot, but that’s really all to make the amazing dressing for these spring vegetables. Once you get your mis en place done, everything is really quite simple. Here is everything you need for this ricotta bowl:
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh dill
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 small shallot finely, minced
- 1/2 small preserved lemon, finely chopped, or 2 tablespoons preserved lemon paste
- 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, plus more to taste
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 & 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, tips removed
- 1 cup treviso leaves, or radicchio leaves
- 2 rolls of ciabatta bread, or any thick slices of bread you prefer
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup roasted pistachios, finely chopped, for garnish
The secret to charring spring peas without a grill
I am dying to get an indoor grill, but until I’m there, I’ve stuck with a few tried-and-true techniques for getting the charred look I want, plus the caramelized flavor I’m craving.
The key to charring spring peas is a dry nonstick pan, or a dry cast iron pan. Trust me, no oil on the peas for this ricotta bowl! That just hinders the charring process.
To get the most perfectly crusted spring peas, put your nonstick pan on medium-high heat, and cook, undisturbed, for about 2-3 minutes. When you start to see dark spots you can flip. Taste one when it’s done, the flavor is absolutely amazing.
How to prepare the rest of this ricotta bowl
Charring your peas is the hardest part of the ricotta bowl. The best part about this bowl of cheese is that the main element (the ricotta!) is done. The only other thing to do is to make the salsa verde.
To do this, chop the herbs as finely as possible and add them to a large bowl. Add in the grated garlic, minced shallot, preserved lemon (or preserved lemon paste), capers, olive oil, and vinegar. Mix and add a generous pinch of salt. Taste and adjust with more olive oil, vinegar, or salt as needed. This is truly all about your taste – so really adjust as you prefer before setting it aside.
When the peas are done charring, toss them in with the Italian salsa verde. Tear in the treviso or radicchio lettuce and toss until everything is coated and looks like one happy, chunky salad. Then just toast your bread to your liking!
To plate, add a large scoop of ricotta to each serving bowl. Add the bread to the side, then pile the spring pea salad on top. Scatter with chopped pistachios and serve!
FAQ
Absolutely. Any vegetable that can char well is a wonderful substitute for this recipe. I’ve used vegetables such as asparagus, squash, radishes, and broccolini in the past, all with great results.
While preserved lemon lends a wonderful briny and acidic flavor to this, you can easily sub it for 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest!
I like to store all the items of this bowl separately, and then combine them right when I want to eat. This means storing the salad in one air-tight container, the ricotta in its container, and the bread in your pantry or fridge. The salad will keep well for up to 4 days!
As much as I prefer ricotta, you can definitely use cottage cheese for this bowl, too!
Looking for similar recipes?
I have a lot of cheese-based goodness here on the blog! Here are a few reader favorites lately:
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And that’s everything for these spring peas in ricotta!
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And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Charred Spring Peas & Ricotta Bowl
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh dill
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1 small shallot finely minced
- 1/2 small preserved lemon, finely chopped or 2 tablespoons preserved lemon paste
- 1 tbsp capers finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar plus more to taste
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 & 1/2 cups sugar snap peas tips removed
- 1 cup treviso leaves or radicchio leaves
- 2 rolls of ciabatta bread or any thick slices of bread you prefer
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup roasted pistachios finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Chop the herbs as finely as possible and add them to a large bowl. Add in the grated garlic, minced shallot, preserved lemon (or preserved lemon paste), capers, olive oil, and vinegar. Mix and add a generous pinch of salt. Taste and adjust with more olive oil, vinegar, or salt as needed. This is your Italian salsa verde, set it aside.
- Put a non-stick skillet or a cast iron on medium-high heat. In batches, char the spring peas until they have dark spots on each side. This should take about 2-3 minutes per side. Flip and repeat until all peas are charred.
- When the peas are done, toss them in with the Italian salsa verde. Tear in the treviso or radicchio lettuce and toss until everything is coated and looks like one happy, chunky salad.
- Toast your bread to your liking.
- To plate, add a large scoop of ricotta to each serving bowl. Add the bread to the side, then pile the spring pea salad on top. Scatter with chopped pistachios and serve!
Delicious & easy
So delicious. I sub’d out the radicchio for butter lettuce & olives for capers – still tasty. Will totally make this again.