The Creamy, Airy Topping Your Roast Carrots Are Yearning For

Root vegetables are at the heart of wintertime cooking, and carrots are one of our favorites. When the temperature outside is below freezing, roasting them is the way to go. Roasted carrots make a beautiful, veggie-centric appetizer or side dish. They're delicious on their own or with a sweet simple glaze, but to take them to the next level, serve them with whipped ricotta. The elegant spread acts as the perfect addition to make your roasted carrots stand out like never before.

Whipped ricotta is simply ricotta cheese that's been whipped in a food processor until it reaches a smooth and creamy texture. You'll want to start with a whole milk ricotta. Add a cup of it to your food processor; this will allow you to make your whipped ricotta as smooth as possible. To that, add a tablespoon of maple syrup. This will bring a bit of sweetness to the spread, which will transfer onto the carrots once you plate everything together, creating a harmony of flavors sure to warm you up.

If you want to keep this a strictly savory dish, try adding a bit of olive oil and lemon juice instead of maple syrup. Lemon juice will brighten the subtle flavor of the ricotta, making it stand out alongside your already-flavorful roasted carrots. Once it's all light and airy, spread the whipped ricotta over your roasted carrots.

Let's be honest: The carrots are still the star of the show in this dish, which means you can't just choose any old roasted carrot recipe. While most basic roasted carrot recipes require a coating in olive oil, salt, and pepper, the fun shouldn't end there. To make them stand out, we like adding some spice for an additional kick to contrast with the ricotta's creaminess.

Hot honey is one of the best ways you can add both sweetness and spice to your carrots. Our honey-glazed carrots can attest that this flavor combo is one that you won't forget. Roast your carrots just as you would, and when they're all done and ready to be plated, drizzle your favorite hot honey (we're partial to Mike's Hot Honey) over them. You could also drizzle a little over the whipped ricotta to add some color to your dish.

If sriracha is more your thing, give your carrots a sriracha glaze by combining it with plain honey. Drizzle the mixture over your already-roasted carrots, tossing everything in a bowl before serving them to ensure each one is coated. For even more spice, you can omit the honey completely and add chili powder instead. Just a teaspoon is necessary to get those hot flavors going. In addition to chili powder, to up the flavor and make those carrots a bit more well-rounded and acidic, add a bit of cumin and lime juice. Each flavor will pair beautifully beside your freshly whipped ricotta, creating a legendary balance of flavors.