Baked Lemony Ricotta with Roasted Tomatoes, Broccolini and Basil
Serves: 2
Time: 40 minutes
I really like the visuals of this one when you serve it whole on the tray that you bake the ricotta on. It presents really beautifully but isn’t so practical for serving, but not everything needs to be practical right? And because it’s not your average looking salad it makes for a rather funky salad to serve up when entertaining. If you don’t like the idea of serving up on your roasting tray then slide it off once the ricotta has cooled down and serve instead on a large wooden board. I normally put chilli flakes in this mix which tend to leach colour out. It does create a chilli oil effect that looks really cool but my red chilli was unusually really hot so I have left it out, but add if you want or need.
Leftovers
Although it looks pretty substantial this is not a leftovers dish. If you are in need of something, how about a jar of overnight oats? if not enjoy your weekend.
What you'll need
500g ricotta
1 lemon
1/2 bunch of basil
1 red chilli
2 bunches of broccolini
1/2 packet of baby rocket
1 packet of cherry tomatoes
From the Pantry
olive oil
1 pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
salt and pepper
Feeding Four?
This recipe requires double of everything when feeding four. You will find the extra ingredients in the feeding four shopping list.
Prep and Cook
Preheat Oven 180
Bake Ricotta
Empty your ricotta into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Finely slice half of the basil and mix through the ricotta.
Use a grater or a zester to add the zest of half the lemon. Mix well.
Line a baking tray with paper and spread your ricotta out over the tray, you don’t need to be too concerned with making this even, it looks cool all rustic and a little patchy.
Finely slice the chilli and sprinkle over the top, pick the remaining basil leaves and sprinkle them over as well. Then zest over the remaining lemon and drizzle over the top with olive oil.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Roast Veggies
Cut the woody ends off the broccolini and toss with some oil and salt and pepper. Spread out on a tray lined with baking paper.
Use the same bowl and toss the cherry tomatoes around, they will pick up a little of the remaining oil on the bowl. Scatter over the broccolini.
Roast in the oven for 12- 15 minutes. I like the broccolini to have a touch of char and the tomatoes to be splitting.
Plate it Pretty
Once you have removed the ricotta from the oven you want to let it cool down a touch so that it isn’t really hot and the ricotta will also firm up a little.
Then scatter over the broccolini and tomatoes and pile high on top a couple of large handfuls of rocket.
Sprinkle with some sea salt flakes.
Leftover Pesto
Did you have any of that tasty pesto leftover from the scotch and salad? it would go great as an addition to this dish.
Lunch tomorrow
This is not a leftovers dish. So happy Friday and I hope you have tomorrow off work xx
Otherwise I always love a jar of overnight oats