Whip up a new take on a comfort food favorite with a quick and easy recipe for Cheesy Garlic Bread with Ricotta.
If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ll know that I dine at my go-to local Italian restaurant, North Italia, on an embarrassingly frequent basis. The food is spectacular, the ambiance is everything I’d ever want if I owned a restaurant, and let’s be honest, there are only so many places that are totally cool with a 1-year-old who uses marinara sauce as a moisturizer. (#facepalm)
There are certain menu items at North Italia that are essentials: the calamari salad (crispy calamari and arugula in an insanely addicting lemon dressing), the arancini (fried mushroom risotto balls), and of course, the garlic bread.
But this is no ordinary garlic bread. This is Cheesy Garlic Bread with Ricotta.
Now rumor has it that North actually fries the cubed bread before dousing it with a hearty shower of Parmesan cheese and white truffle oil. And while I cannot confirm if said deep-frying is true, I can confirm that my baked version of North’s famous garlic bread is spectacular enough to rival the real deal.
This cheesy garlic bread is a great way to make use of stale bread, as any type of slightly dry sourdough or ciabatta is quickly transformed into garlic-packed croutons coated in shredded Parmesan and topped with a heaping mound of fresh ricotta cheese.
It’s crunchy, cheesy, chewy and the combination of the hot, garlicky bread with the cool, creamy ricotta cannot be beat. So I raise a glass to you, North Italia, for crafting this carb lover’s dream come true, and for inspiring your #1 patron to recreate it in the comfort of her kitchen … where she can eat the entire skillet of cheese-coated bread without a single other soul watching … or encouraging her to use marinara sauce as a moisturizer.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons minced fresh garlic
- 1 large loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with foil.
- In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the butter, olive oil and minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted.
- Add the cubed bread to a large bowl then pour the garlic butter mixture on top and toss thoroughly to combine. Scatter the bread cubes in a single layer on the lined baking sheet then bake for 10 minutes. Mix together the bread cubes on the baking sheet then bake them an additional 8 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisped.
- Remove the bread from the oven and immediately sprinkle it with the Parmesan cheese, tossing it together on the baking sheet. Transfer the bread to a serving dish and top it with the ricotta and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Kelly’s Notes:
- For an added touch of indulgence, drizzle the garlic bread with white truffle oil before serving.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
I made this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving. Nearly identical to North Italia – and so delicious!
I’m SO thrilled you enjoyed it!
That looks sinful. I’d bet burrata would work too. Yum. Next Italian dinner for sure!
Burrata would be delicious!
do you know the recipe for North Italia chicken parmesan?
Hi Trisha! I don’t have that particular recipe but you may be interested in my Easy Chicken Parmesan Sliders recipe that you could serve without the bun. Here’s the link for you: https://www.justataste.com/easy-chicken-parmesan-sliders-recipe/ I hope this helps!
OMG this was incredible! We couldn’t stop eating it! Thank you for this delicious recipe!!!
This sounds like something I would love so I will have to try it sometime.
I looked at the Yelp reviews for one of the North Italia restaurants (don’t remember which one) and this showed up as one of the most reviewed and loved dishes – so if this is anything close to theirs it should be wonderful.
One question – is the ricotta at room temperature or warmed? I wouldn’t think you would want it cold from the refrigerator.
Hi Kathy! I like to have the ricotta actually be either slightly chilled or room temp, as it’s a nice (cool) contrast to the hot, crunchy bread. But any way works great!