Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you click on any Amazon links on my website and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. It’s a great way to support my blog, so I can keep sharing delicious recipes with you!
I don’t even know how to put into words the deliciousness of this garlic bread. Please, just make it and get back to me with your thoughts.
This is inspired by one of my favorite restaurants, North Italia. I have a very select few “chain” restaurants I will choose to eat at, and this is one of them. They have a few locations across the country (a lot more now than when I first ate there…please come close to me, North!).
I first experienced this garlic bread in Austin, TX and I have to say, it was a revelation. It was one of the first times I’d ever tasted real, homemade ricotta cheese and my mind was forever changed as to its culinary value. Not having this easily accessible to me, I had to try to recreate it.
Toasty bread cubes with a (VERY) healthy dose of olive oil and truffle butter, melting, oozing fresh mozzarella cheese, herbs and a snowy shower of Grana Padano (or Parmesan!). Truffle oil sends this to wherever the-best-thing-you-ever-ate goes.
I dream of this garlic bread, I crave this garlic bread, I will go out of my way for this garlic bread. This is not your every day, week, or probably even month garlic bread, but when you do it, DO IT RIGHT. I love carbs.
Truffled Garlic Bread with Ricotta
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Toasty bread cubes with a (VERY) healthy dose of olive oil and truffle butter, melting, oozing fresh mozzarella cheese, herbs and a snowy shower of Grana Padano (or Parmesan!). The best garlic bread ever!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bakery-quality white bread, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces white truffle butter, melted
- 1 to 2 teaspoons white truffle oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 garlic cloves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese, at room temperature
- Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese, for grating
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, melted truffle butter, and truffle oil to taste, stirring to combine. Using a microplane, grate the garlic into the oil, stirring again to combine. Drizzle over the bread cubes and toss to coat, ensuring each bread cube has been coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss again, and spread in an even layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the bread cubes begin to turn golden around the edges but are still soft in the middle. Remove from the oven.
- Preheat the broiler to high. Transfer the bread cubes to an 8-inch cast-iron skillet or other baking dish (you can mound them up a bit). Arrange the mozzarella around the bread. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese has melted and is starting to brown. Remove from the oven. Grate a generous amount of Grana Padano or Parmesan all over. Top with the ricotta cheese, fresh herbs, and a generous drizzle of white truffle oil. Serve hot.
- Category: Bread-y Things, Breadsticks & Garlic Bread
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I ate this at North Italia for the first time 4 days ago and knew I had to find a recipe for it. You nailed it!
Hi Dana! Thank you so much for leaving a comment…it made my day! This garlic bread is one of my favorite things on Earth so I’m happy to share the love, and that it was close enough to North’s version! Thank you again so much!
Thank you. I love North Italia and have always loved this appetizer. Now I can make it. Sooooo Happy!!!!
It’s such a wonderful restaurant, and the garlic bread is pure heaven!
Where did you get the truffle butter and did you use French bread? I just had this for the first time at North Italia and it was sooooo good. Can’t wait to try your recipe. Did you use grana padano? Where did you find it. Thanks.
Hello! I’m so excited for you to try it too. Any quality bakery white bread would work; I’ve made it with softer French or Italian bread, and a more rustic loaf, too. There’s a local market where I live in Iowa that sells white truffle butter, and occasionally carries Grana Padano. I’ve seen truffle butter at Whole Foods before, but it’s been awhile. If you want to order it, D’Artagnan has a high-quality one and you might be able to find it on Amazon. You could probably get away with drizzling a little extra truffle oil in a pinch, but there’s something about truffle butter that just makes it better! Substitute Parmesan for the Grana Padano if you can’t find it. Thanks!
Thank you for your quick reply. I just sent my friend your recipe. She loved this bread at North Italia, too!
Thanks for sharing, and please report back on the results!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. This was the best recipe ever. I love North Italia and was craving this bread. I appreciate you so much!
Thank you so much! It’s comments like this that make my day!
My daughter goes to University of Denver and tried this at North last week. I am so happy to find this recipe!!! She raved about this bread! I am making it on Sunday! Thank you for the recipe!!!
North’s garlic bread is incredible. I hope you love the recipe!
What truffle oil do you use?
Hello! I have tried a variety of truffle oils but have been on the hunt for a naturally flavored oil. I haven’t used Truff’s white truffle oil but have heard good things about it. I also know that Da Rosario’s truffle oil is made with real white truffles.
What exactly do you mean by arrange the mozz around the bread? And what bread do you prefer to use? I’ve never done garlic bread that wasn’t already prepared and oven ready
Hello! This just means to place the mozzarella cubes around the bread wherever there is space after you’ve placed the bread cubes into the skillet. You can use a softer French or Italian loaf. I wouldn’t use sourdough because the flavor can be a bit overpowering for this.
I’m a little confused about how this is eaten….. Scooped like mashed potatoes eaten with a fork???
A fork would suffice!
Like another person said, you nailed this one. Always hard to find a reliable copy cat recipe but this one is excellent. Thanks for sharing!
What a compliment! Thank you so much.
Would love to see pictures of the process. What is white truffle butter, what kind of bread, what type of mozzarella (block, buffalo?). What do they look like? Would help.
Hello! Thank you for your feedback. I’m currently not set up to take process photos but may be able to do so in the future. As for the bread, you can use any bakery-quality white/country bread. You can use any white truffle butter you can find locally or order something online. As for the mozzarella, you use 3 ounces of fresh mozzarella. You can use either the water-packed or vacuum-packed (not in water) fresh mozzarella. If the recipe called for buffalo mozzarella, that would be indicated in the recipe. I would not recommend using that here simply because of the additional cost of this type of cheese and the fact that the cheese will be heated (I would reserve the more expensive buffalo mozzarella for something that would serve it fresh/raw—not cooked). Of course, it’s completely up to you if you want to use that type of fresh mozzarella. Again, thank you for your feedback. I hope these clarifications help!