Roasted Red Pepper Baked Ricotta

1. First, roast the pepper. Roast at 400 F for 30-40 minutes until skin is wrinkled and charred. Remove pepper from the oven, place in a small bowl, and immediately cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Let it sit until it’s cool enough to handle, about a half hour. Remove the stem, peel off the skin, and remove the seeds. Chop roasted pepper and set aside. Leave the oven on.

2. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat.

3. Add shallot and 1/2 of the chopped garlic into the oil. Sauté for 2 minutes until shallot is translucent.

4. Add chopped roasted red pepper, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook for 2 minutes until balsamic vinegar is fragrant and mixture has softened.

5. Transfer red pepper mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. If mixture is too thick, add remaining olive oil and blend until smooth. Taste and re-season if necessary. Set aside.

6. Spoon ricotta cheese into a small baking dish (I used a 4″ cast iron skillet). You don’t need to smooth it out unless you really want to. I like leaving it a bit uneven so that the finished dish looks more interesting!

7. Pour red pepper sauce over the ricotta. Bake at 400 F for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is heated through.

8. While the ricotta bakes, prepare the crostini. In a small saucepan (or in the microwave) melt butter with remaining garlic.

9. Lay bread slices out on a baking sheet. Brush each piece of bread with butter and garlic mixture. Bake at 400 F until lightly toasted, about 5-7 minutes.

10. Top baked ricotta with fresh chopped parsley for garnish. Serve immediately with crostini.