Name: Giovanni Pilu’s herbed ricotta and roasted-tomato bruschetta
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 50 gm ricotta; 1 tbsp dried oregano; 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves; 100 gm (1¼ cups) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; Finely grated zest of 1 lemon; 4 thickly cut slices sourdough bread; Roasted tomatoes; 500 gm cherry truss tomatoes; 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing and drizzling; 1 large garlic clove, bruised; 1 tsp caster sugar

Bruschetta – is there anything better? Chef Giovanni Pilu of Pilu at Freshwater goes one up, adding baked ricotta to the tomato and toast creation. “Ricotta is a lovely, delicate fresh cheese and baking it with herbs adds lots of flavour,” he says. “Baking the ricotta also changes its texture, making it a bit firmer. It pairs very well with vine-ripened, blistered tomatoes.”-

Ingredients

50 gm ricotta

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves

100 gm (1¼ cups) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

4 thickly cut slices sourdough bread

Roasted tomatoes

500 gm cherry truss tomatoes

60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing and drizzling

1 large garlic clove, bruised

1 tsp caster sugar

Method

1.For roasted tomatoes, preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Place tomatoes in a bowl and toss with oil and garlic. Add sugar and 1 tsp salt, and season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper. Place tomatoes on prepared tray and roast until they begin to collapse and blister (15-20 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, lightly grease a small baking dish. Combine ricotta in a bowl with herbs, parmesan and zest, and season to taste. Place ricotta mixture in baking dish and smooth over surface. Bake until golden (15-18 minutes). Cool.

3.To serve, preheat a char-grill pan over high heat. Grill sourdough until lightly charred (1-2 minutes each side). Drizzle with oil, top with baked ricotta and roasted tomatoes and season to taste.

Giovanni Pilu

Styling by Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd