French Bread Pizza with Whipped Ricotta and Tomatoes

Thank you in advance to Silgan and Pacific Coast Producers for sponsoring the post for this French Bread Pizza with Whipped Ricotta and Tomatoes! 

If there’s anything that can get us through these last few weeks of winter, it’s spring-like dishes like today’s French Bread Pizza with Whipped Ricotta and Tomatoes. Amiright? 

It’s crisp, fresh, layered with flavor, and irresistibly light. And everything I love about a summer dish, without the summer, unfortunately, 

And while you may be thinking, “Where on earth am I going to get fresh tomatoes this time of year??” let me let you in on a little secret. 

The tomatoes are from a can!

Salad Ready Tomato Wedges in Olive Oil and Italian Spices 

It’s no secret that canned tomatoes are packed at their freshest, which makes them great additions to recipes when the season doesn’t allow a quick jaunt to the nearest Farmer’s Market for freshly picked tomatoes. And fortunately for us, the newest line of Salad Ready Tomato Wedges are no exception to the rule. If you can’t tell, these are FRESH. And so sweet and juicy. They’re unsurprisingly, grown in California, and after each tomato is picked, it’s processed and packed within five hours. I don’t think you can get more farm-to-table, even when produce is going straight to market. 

Aren’t we lucky, whether it’s sunny and 75, or snowing and 17, tomatoes fresh enough for bruschetta or summer-inspired fare are within arm’s reach? Or technically, a quick trip to the grocery store and back.

Let’s delve a little deeper into what exactly we’re dealing with today

• garlicky, toasted French bread
• irresistibly creamy whipped ricotta
• super sweet tomatoes packed with olive oil and spices
• the perfect hint of salt

Similar to a lot of my recipes, while the ingredient list may be simple, each individual component is packed with flavor. This in turn, results in a final product with layers of depth, from the textures to the flavors. 

In this particular recipe, I wanted to. mimic the brightness and freshness of a bruschetta topping, so I went with classic red tomatoes, but the triple-color would also work wonderfully.  What’s really lovely is the tomatoes are already marinated in a combination of olive oil and Italian spices, so all I really had to add with a little bit of salt and pepper to liven everything up. 

How to make French Bread Pizzas with Whipped Ricotta and Tomatoes

• Halve one loaf of French bread and brush each half liberally with melted butter. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. 
• Bake bread until toasted and brown. 
• While the bread bakes, add ricotta to a food processor. Pulse until smooth and whipped. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. 
• Add Salad Ready Tomato Wedges in Olive Oil and Italian Spices to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Rub bread with a raw garlic clove
• Spread whipped ricotta over the surface of bread and cover with tomatoes. 
• Garnish with fresh chopped basil or dried Italian seasoning. 
• Cut and serve! 

Be sure to pick up a few cans of these of these red embossed Salad Ready Tomato Wedges cans in
the canned tomato aisle at your local grocery store! Right now they’re available at a number of spots, but most universally, at Walmart (Great Value Brand).

Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Makes sure to use unsalted butter
• Buy whole milk ricotta. Low-fat ricotta just does not have the same texture, trust me! 
• Save the juice from the cans of tomatoes – it makes a great addition to dressings! 

Other awesome pizza recipes you should check out

• Pepperoni and Bacon Pizza
• Thai Chicken French Bread Pizzas
• Broccoli Alfredo Pizza 

French Bread Pizza with Whipped Ricotta and Tomatoes

Yield: 8 slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Crispy French bread halves are smothered with butter, seasoned with salt and pepper and baked until golden and crisp. They're brushed with garlic, then smothered with creamy whipped ricotta and topped with simply seasoned tomatoes. Serve with a crisp salad or as an appetizer!

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Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread, halved
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
• Black pepper
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 12 oz whole-milk ricotta
• 2 (10 oz) cans Salad Ready Tomato Wedges in Olive Oil and Italian Spices

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Use a bread knife to cut off the top of the French bread so it sits flat.
3. Brush French bread halves with butter. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and a little bit of pepper. Bake until golden brown and toasted.
4. While the bread bakes, add ricotta to a food processor. Pulse until whipped. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a little bit of black pepper.
5. Drain the juice from the canned tomatoes, but make sure to reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid. Add the tomatoes along with 1/4 cup of the liquid to a medium bowl. Add remaining salt and a little bit of pepper. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. When the bread comes out of the oven, rub garlic clove all over the surface. Let cool.
7. Evenly spread ricotta over bread. Top with Salad Ready Tomato Wedges. Cut each half into four. Serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 307Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 613mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 12g