This baked ricotta with honey and butternut squash traybake is a fun and flavourful vegetarian dinner, perfect year-round but also for Thanksgiving and the holidays. It's a very simple tray bake, but looks like you made a lot of effort! A vegetarian, gluten free and low histamine dinner recipe.
There are lots of fun vegetarian main dishes that you may like to see. Why not check out my quinoa stuffed zucchini boats and butternut squash pasta bake? Both perfect comfort food dishes for all the family.
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
- Gooey cheese. There's just *something* about baked cheese that feels indulgent. Warm ricotta and honey is so tasty, very slightly gooey and perfect with sweet butternut squash.
- Enjoy year-round. While this does make a lovely holiday vegetarian main meal, it is equally lovely for a weekend dinner.
- Easy to make. A very simple recipe, tray bakes are so good for an easy dinner.
🧀 Ingredients
The main ingredients you will need are:
- Ricotta cheese - this fresh and creamy cheese is perfect for baking as it doesn't really fall apart or melt too much.
- Butternut squash, broccoli and bell peppers - give this dish that roasted, sweet taste and make it rather holiday-esque too.
- Herbs - these are the star of the show for flavour in this traybake. Fresh thyme and rosemary give a depth of flavour that brings out the taste of the cheese and vegetables.
- Olive oil: I suggest using something like the Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil, rather than regular olive oil for the herb dressing for extra flavour.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Traybake recipes are such a go-to for many of us for one reason - they are so easy to make! They are a one-pan dinner (well technically two as you will need a small bowl to make the dressing in, but I'm not counting that one . . . ), which means very little clean up afterwards.
STEP 1
To an oven appropriate pan add the butternut squash, squash, bell pepper and broccoli in an even layer. Make a space for the ricotta and nestle between the vegetables.
Drizzle olive oil over the tray, and then drizzle honey mostly over the ricotta. Add the rosemary between the vegetables, and sprinkle over the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven.
STEP 2
Once the traybake has been roasting for 30 minutes make a herb oil by adding a small handful of thyme with 2 tbsps of olive oil to a pestle and mortar or small bowl. Bruise the thyme and mix into the olive oil.
STEP 3
Remove the traybake from the oven once the ricotta has started to lightly brown. Drizzle over the herb oil, and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- For the squash, I used butternut squash and a dumpling squash. Personally I would try and use a butternut squash, but for the other type, acorn, delicata and kabocha are all delicious.
- For the ricotta, I used a tub of fresh ricotta. If your ricotta is in some liquid, carefully rest on a paper towel for a minute or two to soak up the excess.
- Keep an eye on the tray bake in the last few minutes of cook time to ensure there isn't any burning.
📋 Frequently asked questions
No, simply place on the baking tray and then drizzle with the honey and sprinkle on the herbs. It doesn't need any preparation before that.
It won't melt as such, and will hold its shape. It will go very slightly soft and a tiny bit gooey.
Yes, of course. You can use different types of squash or increase (or decrease) quantities of bell peppers or broccoli.
🥣 More holiday recipes to try
You can of course enjoy this baked ricotta tray bake year-round, but it's lovely as a holiday recipe too. Some more fun and tasty dishes to enjoy at this time of year:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating ⭐ if you tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Baked Ricotta with Honey Tray Bake
Ingredients
For the traybake
- 1 tub fresh ricotta
- 1 small butternut squash sliced into large pieces
- 5 broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper cut into large pieces
- 1 small dumpling squash or other squash, cut into large pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- small handful fresh thyme
- 3-4 rosemary sprigs
- pinch salt to taste
- pinch black pepper optional, to taste
For the herb oil
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- small handful fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F.
- To an oven appropriate pan add the butternut squash, squash, bell pepper and broccoli in an even layer. Make a space for the ricotta and nestle between the vegetables.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the tray, and then drizzle honey mostly over the ricotta. Add the rosemary between the vegetables, and sprinkle over the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Once the traybake has been roasting for 30 minutes make a herb oil by adding a small handful of thyme with 2 tbsps of olive oil to a pestle and mortar or small bowl. Bruise the thyme and mix into the olive oil.
- Remove the traybake from the oven once the ricotta has started to lightly brown. Drizzle over the herb oil, and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- For the squash, I used butternut squash and a dumpling squash. Personally I would try and use a butternut squash, but for the other type, acorn, delicata and kabocha are all delicious.
- For the ricotta, I used a tub of fresh ricotta. If your ricotta is in some liquid, carefully rest on a paper towel for a minute or two to soak up the excess.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
Katie Clark says
Such beautiful colors and shapes. I can tell you are a foodie because of this presentation!
throughthefibrofog says
I love a colourful traybake!
Shruti Chopra says
Firstly Claire, I had to pause at reading "peppa pig" and go into nostalgia mode. I loved the peppa pig spongy pink sweets - I can still taste it! 😀
But then I knew I needed to get out of that mode and go through this recipe of yours. What I love is the combination and balance of flavours - the sweetness, the slight bitterness that bell peppers give and then the creaminess of the ricotta. Oh! and I love the addition of broccoli too - a favourite vegetable of mine for sure. It's so versatile - great for such dishes and even raw in salads.
Again, love the flavour you bring through simplicity.
throughthefibrofog says
Haha! My nieces are obsessed with peppa pig, but I seem to have missed out because I don't remember spongy sweets!
Glad you like the sound of this recipe - it's so simple but always feels a bit special. I had it last year on Christmas day. Enjoy it if you have a go at making! 🙂