Do you like cheesecake? What if we made it in a savory version? Savory cheesecake with taralli as the base, yellow and red cherry tomatoes as the final topping, and an outstanding ricotta cream! We will prepare the taralli base, cream with ricotta and grated Reggiano cheese and season the cherry tomatoes with oil for a unique final result, rich in color and taste. Look at the photos to believe it!
When I think of an appetizer I think of something simple but that surprises the guests. After all, it’s the cook’s calling card, and it’s what opens the ball, the dish everyone will remember from the dinner just finished. That initial gathering moment, when a bottle of wine is opened, you sit at the table to enjoy a romantic dinner like Valentine’s Day that’s approaching or with friends.
The appetizer I propose today is delicious, easy to prepare, with a resting time that will pay off the wait from the first taste. The individual savory cheesecakes with taralli base are perfect year-round, and you can have fun changing the final decoration each time. I chose yellow and red cherry tomatoes seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and oregano, but you can explore and free your imagination using many different ingredients!
I recorded the video recipe, which you can find below the first photo, with the step-by-step process to follow. It’s a very simple recipe, fresh and tasty, that you can prepare well in advance and keep in the refrigerator until a few minutes before bringing these savory cheesecakes with taralli and cherry tomatoes to the table.
Before moving on to the recipe, I’ll leave you the Valentine’s Day menu that I prepared for you, from appetizers to desserts. Below you will find the direct links to the recipes. Remember that I’ll be waiting for you every morning in the group and on the Facebook fan page of Le Ricette di Bea with the Recipe of the Day, an unmissable appointment to start the day with a sweet or savory treat!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Valentine's Day, All Seasons
- Energy 496.62 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 30.96 (g) of which sugars 4.06 (g)
- Proteins 17.18 (g)
- Fat 33.81 (g) of which saturated 16.91 (g)of which unsaturated 7.95 (g)
- Fibers 1.20 (g)
- Sodium 751.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 187 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for two individual savory cheesecakes with taralli, ricotta cream, and yellow and red cherry tomatoes
- 5.3 oz taralli (in my case classic Apulian)
- 14.1 oz ricotta
- 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes (between yellow and red as in my case)
- 3.5 oz butter
- 1.8 oz cheese (grated)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- to taste oregano (or basil if you prefer)
Tools to prepare the savory cheesecake with taralli and yellow and red cherry tomatoes
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Food Chopper
- 4 Round Pastry Cutter
- 2 Spoons
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Refrigerator
- 1 Small Pot
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 Silicone Spatula
- 1 Cling Film
Steps of the savory cheesecake recipe with taralli, ricotta cream, and cherry tomatoes
Let’s start by grinding and turning the taralli into powder. Pour the indicated amount into the bowl of the chopper and activate it. You can already transfer them to a large bowl and set them aside while melting the butter in a small pot in a water bath, using a small bowl immersed in water. Also blend two or three cherry tomatoes, I chose yellow cherry tomatoes for this step, again with the chopper.
Pour both the blended cherry tomatoes and the melted butter into the bowl with the taralli and with a silicone spatula first and then with your hands, work the mixture. We need to reach a sticky consistency that will allow us to create the base in the pastry cutters of the individual savory cheesecakes we are preparing. If you don’t have pastry cutters, you can use a springform pan lined with parchment paper, obtaining a larger savory cheesecake this way.
Divide the taralli mixture into the four pastry cutters, or molds you have chosen, and with your hands or with the back of a spoon, press down well. We need to achieve a nice solid and crunchy base after the one hour rest in the refrigerator. So, place everything in the fridge so it can cool and solidify. In the meantime, focus on preparing the ricotta and cheese cream.
Take a bowl, if you like, you can use the one where you worked the taralli and butter base after washing it, and pour the ricotta into it. Add the grated cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper, just a little. Work with a spoon or a silicone spatula to create a smooth and compact cream. Cover with cling film and place it in the refrigerator. When the taralli base has rested for an hour, we can proceed.
Take the pastry cutters from the refrigerator and the bowl with the ricotta cream, generously pour spoons of cream over the taralli, leveling the surface. Place the individual savory cheesecakes back in the refrigerator and let them rest for at least two hours.
Small tip: while the savory cheesecakes rest, prepare the cherry tomato topping, these two hours will allow these two ingredients to gain much more flavor compared to a topping prepared a few minutes before serving the appetizer at the table.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and place them on a wooden cutting board and cut them in halves or quarters. Pour everything into a bowl and season with extra virgin olive oil and oregano, in my case dried. If you prefer, you can use fresh basil. Cover with cling film and place it in the refrigerator.
Before serving the savory cheesecakes at the table, carefully remove them from the pastry cutters or the mold, top with the yellow and red cherry tomatoes, another drizzle of oil, and you’ll be ready to enjoy a unique savory appetizer. With those rosemary leaves, you get an intense aroma, different from classic basil. A crunchy and tasty taralli base, the freshness and delicacy of the ricotta cream, make this appetizer super tasty, which surprises with both colors and flavor.
Wishing all of you bon appétit and I’ll be waiting for you here on my blog with many easy and quick recipes like this one!
Remember that the release days of the new recipes on the blog Le Ricette di Bea are: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! Every morning, I’ll be waiting for you in the group and on the Facebook fan page!
Tips and Variations of the Recipe:
Tips: finely grinding the taralli is essential, only then will you achieve a compact base for the individual cheesecake you are preparing. Another super important thing is the consistency of the ricotta and cheese cream, don’t leave cheesy lumps, you’ll feel them in your mouth at the tasting moment, and they are not pleasant.
Variations: you can add a grating of lemon zest to give a touch of freshness to the ricotta cream. After all, lemon, as Cannavacciuolo says, goes well with everything! As already indicated in the recipe text, you can replace oregano with fresh basil. As suggested in the video recipe, which you find below the first photo, you can also add some smoked salmon scraps if the lunch or dinner you organized includes a fish menu. The use of rosemary sprigs as a final decoration is optional, but we loved it.
