You may be thinking this does not look or sound that exciting but you would be so very wrong. The green beans are tossed with red bell pepper strips and olive oil and charred under a broiler for a few minutes. Then, whole milk ricotta is whipped in a mixer with infused olive oil and lemon until it becomes creamy and fluffy. A bite of soft lemon and herb ricotta with the blackened green beans and sweet bell pepper is nothing short of magic. You do not have to admit to anyone how easy this delectable side dish is to prepare.
Ingredients
1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1-2 whole red bell peppers, sliced into strips
2 cups whole-milk ricotta
Olive oil (I like to use a mix of regular EVOO and infused olive oil in this recipe. For the infused oil, I have both purchased basil-infused olive oil and made my own garlic-infused olive oil - and both are delicious in this recipe)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Char Veggies
In a large bowl toss the trimmed green beans and strips of red bell pepper with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Spread the veggies in an even layer on a sheet pan and roast for 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Turn broiler on and move the sheet pan closer to the heat source and check the veggies every 1-2 minutes to watch for a nice char.
Mix Ricotta
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the ricotta with 3 tablespoons of infused olive oil, lemon zest, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Plate Side Dish
Spread whipped ricotta on a serving platter and arrange charred veggies over top. Drizzle with good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to top off the beautiful dish.