Lazy summer afternoon. The smell of wind and grass. A straw-hat. A glass of wine. Keeping things simple. A moment of tranquility caught under my skin… This is what  I think of when I get nostalgic for warm July sunsets. Then another thought comes –  I actually don’t like summer that much. All that I really like about it is visiting a countryside and the taste of fresh, juicy, sun-kissed tomatoes. This dish combines both things in one simple rustic bake. And there it is. My nostalgic fantasy served in a bowl. This really is as good as it gets.

Ricotta and tomato rustic bake

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 large red pepper

3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

7 ripe cherry tomatoes (or 3 small plum tomatoes), cut in half

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A pinch of dried oregano and/or basil (optional)

2 chopped or thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes in oil (optional)

220g fresh ricotta cheese

4 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh basil (to garnish)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the red pepper on the top rack and broil for about 10 minutes. Turn occasionally. When the skin is charred and blistered, transfer the pepper to a plate and cool. Peel, deseed and cut the pepper into thin strips.

Lightly oil a small baking dish. Place garlic and the tomato halves in the dish, cut sides up. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, a pinch of dried oregano and/or basil. Bake for 7–10 minutes until the tomatoes soften. Remove the dish from the oven and set aside.

Cut the ricotta cheese in half. Remove the tomatoes from the dish. Crumble the first half of the cheese to the bottom of the dish and season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange the pepper strips on top, the sun-dried tomatoes (if using), and the roasted tomato halves with garlic (reserve 2 tomato halves). Drizzle with olive oil and top with the remaining ricotta, also crumbled.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with a little extra oil. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is hot and the top is golden (if the cheese starts to burn, lower the temperature and relatively exceed the baking time). Garnish with remained tomato halves and some fresh basil.

Best served straight from the oven with some garlic bread.

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