Today I propose a beautiful and tasty savory cheesecake with cherry tomatoes, olives, arugula, and parmesan. A beautiful savory pie with fresh and genuine ingredients! Also suitable for vegetarians. Have you ever tried a savory cheesecake? It’s delicious! Perfect as an appetizer, for a refined dinner or as a single dish. I love savory cheesecakes, very easy to prepare and truly scenic. This one I propose today is baked and gelatin-free. It has a base made with crackers and butter, typical of cheesecakes. Filled with a cream of ricotta and Greek yogurt. Finally decorated with cherry tomatoes, arugula, parmesan flakes, and olives. Prefer a no-bake cheesecake? Try the version with gorgonzola, figs, and cured ham. Or with mortadella and pistachios, fresh and delicate. Let’s see the procedure together with the step-by-step photos.
If you love savory pies, don’t miss these delicious proposals!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about 12-14 people
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 7 oz crackers (preferably unsalted, whole wheat is also fine)
- 3/4 oz grated parmesan
- 3.5 oz butter
- 18 oz ricotta (must be dry)
- 5 oz Greek yogurt (unsweetened)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (use all-purpose flour if necessary)
- 3 eggs (medium whole)
- 2.8 oz grated parmesan
- 4 leaves basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 yellow cherry tomatoes
- 8 red cherry tomatoes
- black olives (or green, pitted, about ten)
- as needed arugula
- 1 oz Grana Padano flakes
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
- as needed olive oil
- as needed salt
Tools
- Springform Pan
- Bowls
- Hand Whisk
- Chopper
- Spatula
Steps
First, let’s prepare the base of the savory cheesecake! Put the crackers in a mixer and blend.
Add the Parmigiano Reggiano and turn on the chopper again until you get a sandy mixture.
Separately, melt the butter in a bain-marie (or in the microwave for a few seconds).
Pour the melted butter over the crumbled crackers and mix with a spatula.
Important: You may need to increase the butter amount depending on the crackers used. If the ingredients do not bind together, add 20-30 g of melted butter.
Pour everything into a 24 cm mold (better if springform or with a removable bottom) lined with parchment paper.
Level well with the back of a spoon, also forming the edges all around.
Immediately put it in the fridge (NOT in the freezer) to rest for about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, while the base rests, let’s think about the filling of the summer cheesecake!
In a bowl, place the ricotta (must be dry), the Greek yogurt (unsweetened).
Break the whole medium eggs inside, add the cornstarch (or all-purpose flour) and the Parmigiano Reggiano.
Half a teaspoon of salt, a few fresh basil leaves, and mix everything with a hand whisk.
The filling is ready! Just take the base from the fridge and pour it all into the mold.
Level with a spatula and into a preheated oven at 356°F, static (or ventilated), for about 60 minutes.
For the first 35 minutes, cover the surface with parchment paper to prevent it from darkening too much and then remove it.
The cooking time is variable because it depends on the type of oven. I took 1 hour and 10 minutes.
When the surface has become golden and firm, remove it from the oven and let it completely cool.
We are ready for the decoration, but it must be done only shortly before bringing the cheesecake to the table.
Wash the arugula and place it on a cloth to dry, being careful not to spoil it.
Rinse the cherry tomatoes (yellow and red, but only red is fine too) well and cut them in half.
Take the parmesan and use a knife to cut some flakes.
Place the now cold cheesecake on a serving plate and arrange the arugula on top.
For a chromatic play, leave one cm free all around the perimeter so that the cheesecake color is visible 😉
Arrange the cherry tomatoes, olives, parmesan flakes, and a sprinkle of grated parmesan on top of the arugula.
Season with olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and if you like, a pinch of pepper.
Those who want can also add a bit of balsamic vinegar cream, which goes very well 😉
One recommendation, season with oil and salt just a few minutes before serving.
The summer savory cheesecake with cherry tomatoes, arugula, and parmesan is ready to make your guests dream!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Come back to visit me soon!
For this recipe, I was inspired, with some modifications, by a very talented Food Blogger whom I highly respect, Enrica, aka Chiarapassion, whom I thank.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How can I substitute the crackers?
You can use salted taralli.
How to replace Greek yogurt?
You can use only ricotta and therefore add another 150 g of ricotta to the indicated amount. Or you can replace Greek yogurt with fresh spreadable cheese, mascarpone, robiola.
I don’t like arugula, how can I substitute it?
With fresh salad to taste (mixed greens, baby lettuce, iceberg, etc.).
How long before can I prepare the base compared to the decoration?
The base of this cheesecake can be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge. The decoration, however, should be done shortly before being brought to the table because fresh and raw ingredients are used. Similarly, adding oil and salt for seasoning the ingredients is preferable to do just a few minutes before.
How long can this cheesecake be stored in the fridge?
The base is baked in the oven and thus lasts three days in the fridge. The ingredients for the decoration, however, are raw and very delicate so a couple of days. At most, if plenty is left, the raw ingredients can be consumed as a salad and the decoration renewed with fresher ones.
