Recipes › Tomato (Specialty) › Specialty Tomato and Nduja Bruschetta with Whipped Ricotta
Specialty Tomato and Nduja Bruschetta with Whipped Ricotta
Ripe specialty tomatoes are crushed and marinated briefly with garlic and olive oil, then piled onto grilled sourdough spread with whipped ricotta and topped with molten, spiced nduja. This is the kind of thing you eat standing at the kitchen counter in August when the tomatoes are at their absolute peak. Fast, bold, and completely satisfying.
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Ingredients
- 600 g Tomato (Specialty), roughly torn or crushed by hand
- 4 sourdough bread, cut into thick slicesor use ciabatta
- 80 g nduja, skin removed if neededor use finely chopped chorizo
- 200 g ricotta
- 2 cloves garlic, 1 finely grated, 1 halved for rubbing
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
- 15 g fresh basil, leaves picked (optional)
- ½ lemon, juice only
Contains: milk, cereals gluten.
Method
- Tear or crush the tomatoes into a bowl — use your hands so you get uneven, juicy pieces rather than neat dice. Add the grated garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Toss together and set aside to macerate while you prepare everything else.About 5 min
- Put the ricotta into a bowl with the lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Beat vigorously with a fork for about 1 minute until it becomes noticeably lighter and creamy.About 2 min
- Heat a griddle pan or grill to high. Brush the sourdough slices with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil on both sides and grill for 2 minutes per side until deep char lines form and the bread is properly crisp. While still hot, rub each slice firmly with the cut side of the halved garlic clove.About 5 min
- Place a small frying pan over medium-high heat and add the nduja. It will melt and sizzle quickly — cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until it has rendered into a vivid orange, spicy oil. Remove from the heat.About 2 min
- Spread each slice of grilled sourdough generously with the whipped ricotta. Drain any excess liquid from the tomatoes, then pile them onto the ricotta. Spoon the molten nduja and its oil over the top, and finish with basil leaves if using. Serve immediately.About 3 min
Tips
- The most important step is salting the tomatoes ahead — even 5 minutes of macerating draws out the juices and concentrates the flavour dramatically.
- Drain off the tomato liquid just before building the bruschetta or your bread will go soggy within a minute. Don't discard it — drink it straight or add to a dressing.
- Use the ripest, most colourful specialty tomatoes you can find. A mix of colours makes it look spectacular and the different varieties bring complexity to each bite.
Ring the changes
- For a vegetarian version, skip the nduja and drizzle with a good chilli oil and a handful of toasted capers instead.
- Swap the sourdough for gluten-free bread that toasts well — the topping is already gluten-free.
Keeping it
The marinated tomatoes will keep for up to 4 hours covered in the fridge, but the assembled bruschetta must be eaten immediately. Whipped ricotta keeps for 2 days refrigerated.
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