Easy Spinach-Ricotta Dip

For a healthier take on a classic snack, try our creamy spinach and ricotta dip. You won’t find any cream cheese or mayonnaise here; instead, mild ricotta cheese is blended with sautéed or steamed greens—try spinach, kale, or chard—plus a touch of Dijon mustard and freshly grated nutmeg for flavorful depth. After a short stint in the oven, the bubbly, lightly browned dip is ready to serve hot with golden crostini, crackers, or your favorite raw vegetables. Whether you make it for game day, a holiday gathering, or a movie night on the couch, this lightened-up dip is sure to satisfy.

Buying Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta is typically sold in two varieties: whole milk and part-skim. For this recipe, we recommend buying whole milk ricotta, which has a higher fat content and creamier mouthfeel than part-skim. Keep in mind, however, that even whole milk ricotta has significantly less fat and calories than cream cheese or mayonnaise and still makes for a nutritious dip.

Do You Need to Drain Ricotta?

For certain uses, it can be helpful to drain ricotta before using it, which helps to remove excess moisture and make for a less soggy dish. Unless your ricotta is extremely wet and soupy, however, you can skip draining it for this recipe.

Equipment for Spinach-Ricotta Dip

You only need a few pieces of kitchen equipment to whip up this creamy dip, including:

Skillet: Before assembling this dish, you'll need to cook down a pound of fresh greens, like spinach or kale. The easiest way to do this is by sautéing them in a touch of olive oil. Use a large skillet, preferably a high-sided one, to contain all the leaves. Alternatively, you can steam the greens in a steamer basket set over a large saucepan of simmering water.

Fine-mesh strainer: After cooking the greens, you need to squeeze out as much moisture as possible, which will keep the dip from becoming soupy. Use a fine-mesh strainer or colander for this step, or simply squeeze out the liquid by hand.

Mixing bowls: You'll need two medium bowls for this recipe: one to use when draining the greens and another to stir together the dip. (To cut down on dishes, use the same bowl for both tasks.)

Baking dish: Reach for a small (one-quart) baking dish to heat the dip. Note that this recipe makes about two cups worth, but you certainly can double or triple the ingredients to feed a crowd.

Microplane: If you have whole nutmeg at home, it's worth using it for this recipe. A microplane is the best tool to finely grate a little nutmeg directly into the dip. In a pinch, ground nutmeg can be used.