Gusto della Vita Ricotta and Goat Cheese Mini Towers
Overview
Elevate your appetizer game with these elegant and flavor-packed Savory Cheesecake Bites. A buttery, Tuscan-spiced cracker crust forms the foundation for a creamy cheese filling made from a luxurious blend of cream cheese, ricotta, goat cheese, and parmesan. Studded with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, and bright lemon zest, each bite bursts with rich, herbaceous flavor. The savory cheesecake is baked until golden and set, then cooled and cut into perfect rounds. Each round is crowned with a vibrant pancetta conserva—a jammy, savory-sweet blend of blistered grape tomatoes, crispy pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil. A touch of arugula tossed in sun-dried tomato oil adds peppery freshness, making these bites a show-stopping centerpiece for any gathering.
Total Cook Time: 45 minutes
Bella Products Used:
Sun Dried Tomato Tuscan Rub
Julienne Cut Sun Dried Tomatoes in Premium Oil with Italian Herbs 8.5 oz
Sun Dried Tomatoes with Italian Basil Julienne-Cut (Resealable Pouch)
Ingredients
Crust:
- Cooking Spray
- 1 ½ cup plain cracker crumbs
- 1 ½ tablespoon Bella Sun Dried Tomato Tuscan Rub
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes with Italian Basil Julienne Cut
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Sun Dried Tomato Pancetta Conserva:
- ⅔ cup diced pancetta
- 1 pint fresh cherry tomatoes
- 8.5 ounce jar Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes Julienne Cut, chopped
- Oil from sun-dried tomato jar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ black pepper
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped basil leaves
For Assembly:
- 1 cup arugula, coarsely chopped
- Basil sprigs, if desired
- Lemon half-moon slices, if desired
Directions
Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly spray a 10-inch tart or quiche pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add cracker crumbs and Tuscan rub.
- Stir until combined and then drizzle in melted butter.
- Continue stirring until cracker crumbs are well-coated.
- Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake until crust is light golden brown (about 8 minutes). Set on rack to cool.
Cheese Filling:
- In a food processor, process cream cheese, ricotta, goat, and parmesan cheeses and eggs until smooth.
- Add basil, parsley, sun dried tomatoes, lemon zest, black pepper, and salt.
- Pulse several times until chopped and well incorporated.
- Spoon cheese mixture into the pan over the cracker crust.
- Bake at 325 for about 50 to 55 minutes or until golden at the edges and the center wiggles slightly.
- Turn off oven; let coll in oven for about 30 minutes.
- Transfer to a baking rack; let cool another 30 minutes. Make conserva.
Conserva:
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add pancetta and 1 teaspoon reserved sun dried tomato oil.
- Cook pancetta until crisp and fat has completely rendered.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a paper-lined plate to drain, leaving oil and pancetta fat in pan.
- Add grape tomatoes. Stir occasionally, until well blistered.
- Add sun dried tomatoes; cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic; cook for about one minute. Stir occasionally until about half of the liquid has reduced.
- Add sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Cook; stirring often, until mixture is reduced and is a jam-like consistency (5 minutes).
- Transfer to a food processor. Add basil and pulse several times.
To assemble:
- Use about 2 ¼ round biscuit cutter, cut out 10 rounds of the cheesecake. Cut through the crust as well.
- Arrange rounds on a large serving platter.
- In a medium bowl, toss arugula with 2 teaspoons reserved sun dried tomato oil.
- Top each round with a heaping tablespoon of conserva and several arugula leaves.
- Decorate the platter with basil leaves and lemon slices if desired.
Cook’s tips: To make cheesecake rounds easier to cut, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before cutting. Size and quantity of rounds can vary as preferred, by using a larger or smaller size biscuit cutter.
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