I love spinach and artichoke dip but unless I know for a fact that everyone is going to dig in immediately I am not a fan of serving it at cocktail parties or gatherings.

Even in all of its rich, cheesy, pretending-to-be-healthy-because-it-has-spinach glory, spinach-artichoke dip doesn’t hold very well for grazing. The cheese congeals and as soon as it cools to warm temperature, it loses a lot of its luster.

A ligher alternative to your favorite cheese-heavy appetizer or snack is light, fluffy ricotta dip baked with a touch of parmesan cheese to add a detectable sharpness flavored with fresh herbs. I chop the herbs in the bowl of a food processor to have them as finely chopped as possible.

Hot Ricotta Cheese Dip (adapted from Real Simple)
Serves 20

What You Need:

2 15-ounce containers ricotta
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Crackers or endive leaves for serving

How To:

Heat broiler. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, parsley, thyme, red pepper, ½ cup of the Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Transfer to a shallow, broilerproof 1-quart baking dish, drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of Parmesan. Broil until the top begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with the endive.