Whole baked ricotta with lentils & roasted cherry tomatoes

• banana shallots↗6

  quartered

• olive oil↗90ml ml

  plus extra for drizzling

• large lemon↗1

  zested and juiced

• basil↗small pack

  roughly chopped

• dill↗small pack

  roughly chopped

• cooked puy lentils↗2 x 250g pouches g
• spinach↗150g g
• ricotta↗2 x 250g whole g
• cherry tomatoes↗400g g

  on the vine

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the shallots in a medium-sized roasting tin, drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil and season. Roast for 15 mins until golden brown and beginning to soften. Meanwhile, to make a dressing, whisk the remaining olive oil with the lemon zest and juice, stir through half the herbs and season.

2. 2

   Toss the lentils together with the shallots, spinach and 4 tbsp water. Put the ricotta in the centre of the roasting tin and lay the tomatoes around them. Drizzle the dressing over the lentils and shake the tin a little to combine everything. Drizzle a little olive oil over the ricotta and season everything well. Return to the oven for 30-35 mins or until the ricotta is firm and lightly golden.

3. 3

   Serve the lentils in shallow bowls topped with spoonfuls of the creamy ricotta and sprinkled with the remaining herbs.