It’s summer and that means that really beautiful tomatoes are within reach. If you can’t find any now, you will be able to soon and these Ricotta Tomato Toasts should absolutely be on your menu!

People have been putting tomatoes on bread for as long as tomatoes and bread existed, but this method is a little different than other recipes I’ve seen. I saw this first on TikTok and immediately tried it with success.

While the plain version is well and good, I felt like it needed a little fat to balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes. So I added a layer of ricotta cheese to my toasts and it is *CHEF’S KISS* perfect.

What tomatoes work best for these toasts?

In short, the best tomatoes for this recipe are the ripest ones you can find. You could use any heirloom tomato, roma tomatoes, or just plain ripe on the vine tomatoes. If you are buying your tomatoes at a farmer’s market, pretty much any tomato will work.

Two kinds of tomatoes I would shy away from for this recipe are tiny cherry tomatoes, which are a pain to grate, and canned tomatoes, which will just not have the same fresh flavor.

How to strain the tomatoes

Tomatoes have an incredible amount of water in them. In fact, they are mostly water. This can make your toasts really soggy.

Grating tomatoes for toasts.

To fix that problem for these ricotta tomato toasts, grate your ripe tomatoes over a mesh strainer. The flesh of the tomato will drain and you’ll be left with a really concentrated, flavorful tomato mixture.

As you grate the tomatoes, you’ll get down to the skin of the tomatoes. Don’t use the skins in this recipe. You can just compost or discard them.

Strained tomato mixture for toasts.

What to do with tomato water

If you grate two ripe medium-to-large tomatoes, you’ll probably end up with more than a cup of tomato water. This stuff is a strange pink color, but do not throw it out! It’s surprisingly refreshing. I drink it straight or maybe with a pinch of salt.

Cheers!

Making the ricotta tomato toasts

These ricotta tomato toasts are SO fast to make. They are ready in under 10 minutes even on a slow day.

Once you grate all the tomatoes and let the tomato water drain off, transfer the tomato meat to a bowl and season with olive oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper.

Seasoned tomato topping for ricotta toasts.

For the toasts, use a good quality bread like sourdough bread. The bread needs to be able to toast well and hold up to the toppings.

Drizzle the bread well with olive oil and toast it in a skillet or on a griddle. Only toast one side of the bread so one side has a nice char, but the bread is still soft.

Grilled bread.

When the toasts come off the griddle, rub them with a clove of fresh garlic close to give some good garlic flavor to the bread.

Then spoon on some good ricotta cheese and top each toast with the seasoned tomato mixture.

It’s a completely simple, but also completely delicious recipe that is at its best this time of year when tomatoes are perfect.

If you’re looking for another amazing tomato dish, check out this Heirloom Tomato Tart!

Ricotta Tomato Toasts

Ricotta Tomato Toasts

5 from 2 votes
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 2 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
These easy-to-make tomato toasts are inspired by the viral TikTok version. Grated tomatoes, strained, seasoned, and topped over crispy toast and ricotta. The breakfast of summer!

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 4 slices bread, toasted
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, grated and strained
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • Fresh chives, garnish

Instructions

  • Grate tomatoes with a box grater into a mesh strainer. Grate all the flesh of the tomatoes, leaving the skin. Let tomatoes drain for a minute or two.
  • Transfer drained tomato flesh to a bowl and season with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and a pinch of pepper.
  • Drink the tomato water. It’s delicious!
  • Drizzle bread with olive oil and toast in a skillet or griddle on just one side until it’s nicely charred.
  • Top each piece of bread with ¼ cup of ricotta cheese.
  • Top each piece with the tomato mixture and garnish with chives.
  • Serve immediately!

Nutrition

Serving: 2Slices | Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 666mg | Potassium: 506mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1573IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 340mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine: Italian

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Tag @crunchtimekitchen

Here are a few other great Tomato recipes to try!