Baked Ricotta With Grilled Radicchio
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA SUMMERIntroduction
If you want to forgo the grilled radicchio alongside, then do and just make a tomato (or green) salad to go with it, but the combination, as it stands, is perfect: the heat-wilted radicchio loses some of its t, but keeps just enough perfectly to offset the delicate, not-quite-blandness of the ricotta. The summer-scentedness of thyme deliciously permeates both.
If you want to forgo the grilled radicchio alongside, then do and just make a tomato (or green) salad to go with it, but the combination, as it stands, is perfect: the heat-wilted radicchio loses some of its t, but keeps just enough perfectly to offset the delicate, not-quite-blandness of the ricotta. The summer-scentedness of thyme deliciously permeates both.
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Ingredients
Serves: 6
For the Baked Ricotta
- 500 grams ricotta cheese (full-fat / whole milk)
- 2 large egg whites (lightly beaten)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- Maldon sea salt flakes
- pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Radicchio
- approx. 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 large radicchio (cut into eighths lengthways)
- 1 lemon (to serve)
For the Baked Ricotta
- 2 cups ricotta cheese (full-fat / whole milk)
- 2 large egg whites (lightly beaten)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- kosher salt
- pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Radicchio
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 large radicchio (cut into eighths lengthways)
- 1 lemon (to serve)
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/160°C Fan/350ºF.
- Mix the ricotta with the beaten egg whites and add most of the chopped thyme, the lemon zest and salt and pepper.
- Brush a 20cm / 8 inch Springform tin with oil, and pour in the ricotta mixture then drizzle with olive oil and scatter a little more chopped thyme over the top. Don't be alarmed at how shallow this is; it is not intended to be other than a slim disc.
- Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes. The baked ricotta will rise a little and set dry on top, but will not turn a golden colour like a cake.
- Let the tin cool a little before springing open, and removing to a plate. Leave to cool a little longer, then cut into wedges and eat, still warm, with the radicchio.
- Talking of which, you should get on with this just before serving, which really means preheating the grill while the ricotta-cake is cooling. Mix the olive oil and thyme in a shallow bowl, and then wipe the radicchio slices in the herby oil before grilling them for a few minutes, turning them as necessary, until slightly wilted and golden at the edges.
- Add a squeeze of lemon at the end before serving with the baked ricotta.
- Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/160°C Fan/350ºF.
- Mix the ricotta with the beaten egg whites and add most of the chopped thyme, the lemon zest and salt and pepper.
- Brush a 20cm / 8 inch Springform tin with oil, and pour in the ricotta mixture then drizzle with olive oil and scatter a little more chopped thyme over the top. Don't be alarmed at how shallow this is; it is not intended to be other than a slim disc.
- Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes. The baked ricotta will rise a little and set dry on top, but will not turn a golden colour like a cake.
- Let the tin cool a little before springing open, and removing to a plate. Leave to cool a little longer, then cut into wedges and eat, still warm, with the radicchio.
- Talking of which, you should get on with this just before serving, which really means preheating the grill while the ricotta-cake is cooling. Mix the olive oil and thyme in a shallow bowl, and then wipe the radicchio slices in the herby oil before grilling them for a few minutes, turning them as necessary, until slightly wilted and golden at the edges.
- Add a squeeze of lemon at the end before serving with the baked ricotta.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
It is not advisable to make ahead or store.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
It is not advisable to make ahead or store.
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What 2 Others have said
This was a nice change of pace when I was in a real cooking rut. I feel like I wanted the ricotta to be less lemony and more something else, but I'm not sure what! The grilled radicchio was tasty! We added a green salad and Italian bread.
Amazing! I added a teaspoon of chilli flakes to add a kick, delicious!