Baked ricotta with tomatoes and lentils
This baked ricotta with tomatoes and lentils is a lovely dish for laid-back family meals. It looks good, so it’s perfect for dinner parties too. Serve it with pasta or gnocchi. This is a vegetarian version, but feel free to add some tinned anchovies/sardines or fried pancetta bits.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C.
- Cut the onion into thin wedges, the garlic into slices.
- Put the tomatoes in a baking dish and tuck the onion wedges and garlic slices between them. Drizzle with half of the oil and the balsamic vinegar.
- Make some space in the middle of the tin by moving the tomatoes to the side. Put the ricotta in the middle, then arrange the tomatoes around it. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the ricotta.
- Bake in the oven for 20 mins until the tomatoes have burst.
- Add the lentils and chopped kale, then pour in the stock (not over the ricotta). Carefully toss the tomatoes.
- Roast for another 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and the ricotta is firm and lightly golden.
- Remove the vines, add the chopped parsley, then mash the tomatoes with a fork.
- Serve with pasta or gnocchi, topped with spoonfuls of the creamy ricotta, garnished with some parsley.