Roasted Carrots with Whipped Ricotta and Chili Butter
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I love this vegetable side dish because the flavors and combination of contrasting textures make it seem complicated when in reality it’s actually quite simple. While I love serving whipped ricotta on bread or as a dip, it’s light enough to perfectly complement vegetables, like roasted ones, without overpowering them.
Roasted Carrots with Whipped Ricotta and Chili Butter
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Carrots – Look for carrots that are all about the same size so that they cook evenly. I choose to skip peeling the carrots and opt to thoroughly scrub them instead. I find using smaller carrots with trimmed tops to be the most aesthetically pleasing for this side dish. I recommend cutting any larger carrots in half lengthwise.
- Butter – To create the chili butter I melt unsalted butter and simmer it with red pepper flakes and a bit of paprika to add a bright red, vibrant color. While you can leave the pepper flakes in the butter I prefer to strain them out.
- Ricotta – This Italian cheese is made from the whey leftover from the production of other cheeses which gives it a grainy texture to start. Whipping ricotta changes the texture of it, making it completely smooth and velvety rather than grainy.
- Maple syrup – A little bit of maple syrup is added to the whipped ricotta to add a touch of sweetness to offset the spice of the butter.
How to Make Roasted Carrots with Whipped Ricotta and Chili Butter
Step 1: Roast carrots.
Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Cut any large carrots in half lengthwise if needed. Arrange carrots in a single layer on a sheet pan and toss in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast the carrots until tender and slightly browned, about 25 minutes.
Step 2: Make chili butter.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the pepper and paprika and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the butter is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 3: Strain chili butter.
Remove and strain the butter through a fine mesh strainer. Set the butter aside until ready to use.
Step 4: Whip the ricotta.
Add the ricotta and maple syrup to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment (or a mixing bowl and whisk by hand) and pulse until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
Step 5: Assemble and serve.
Use a spatula to spread the ricotta on a serving dish and top with the roasted carrots. Drizzle the chili butter over the top and garnish with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- The whipped ricotta can be swapped with another creamy ingredient like mascarpone. You can also use full fat Greek yogurt.
- If you prefer you can peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler rather than scrubbing them.
- This recipe also tastes great with other vegetables like roasted broccolini or cauliflower.
- If using baby carrots, cut the cooking time down to 20 minutes.
- For easy cleanup, line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- I garnish the carrots with a few of the leaves from the carrot tops but you can garnish with a bit of parsley if desired.
How to prep this recipe in advance
To cut down on prep work, especially if making this recipe for Thanksgiving, I recommend making the butter and whipped ricotta ahead of time. The butter can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container and melted again just before serving to drizzle over the top.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this recipe, give these roasted carrots recipes a try:
Roasted Carrots with Whipped Ricotta and Chili Butter
Ingredients:
- 2 bunches carrots, tops trimmed and cleaned
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Cut any large carrots in half lengthwise if needed. Arrange carrots in a single layer on a sheet pan and toss in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast the carrots until tender and slightly browned, about 25 minutes.
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the pepper and paprika and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the butter is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Remove and strain the butter through a fine mesh strainer. Set the butter aside until ready to use.
- Add the ricotta and maple syrup to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment (or a mixing bowl and whisk by hand) and pulse until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Use a spatula to spread the ricotta on a serving dish and top with the roasted carrots. Drizzle the chili butter over the top and garnish with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm.
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I broke the unspoken rule and made a NEW recipe on Thanksgiving! So glad it was ROASTED CARROTS WITH WHIPPED RICOTTA AND CHILI BUTTER! The recipe was super easy and had very few ingredient I easily had on hand. Also, the timing for roasting the carrots was perfect. While the turkey rested the carrots roasted! I wish I had followed the suggestion to strain the chili butter. Next time I will. Such a crowd pleaser/new tradition made!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed Kate! Thanks for sharing!! Love when a new recipe works out well!!
These were a favorite at Thanksgiving and very easy to make. Highly recommend!
These carrots are decadent! And SO easy to make! I have served them solo at a pot luck and as the only side to my first attempt at Beef Wellington and everyone raved in both cases ❤️
So happy to hear that!! Thank you Blythe!! Oh I love beef Wellington! Sounds like a winning combination!