Spicy red beets with ricotta from the oven
When I don’t know what to cook, I come back to this dish time and again. It is so simple yet so inspired, and the colors and flavors are a joy to work with.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
Slice the red beets.
Mix a third of the ricotta together with the red curry paste and season with salt and pepper (see tip). Line the bottom of a baking dish with a layer of red beet slices. Spoon some of the unseasoned ricotta over the top and then add some of the curried ricotta. Top with another layer of red beet slices. Continue to add layers and finish with a layer of ricotta and the curried ricotta. Season as you go along with black pepper and a little bit of salt.
Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil over the top and divide the grated cheese over the dish.
Bake in the hot oven for about 25 minutes.
10 minutes before the end of cooking time, pour the cream over the top.
Slice the dish into two portions and serve straight from the baking dish.
Tip: red curry paste
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons curry paste to the ricotta to taste. Taste after each tablespoon before adding more. Some people love spicy food, others not so much. The key is to keep tasting.
Tip: lunch or dinner?
I wasn’t sure whether to put this dish down as a lunch or dinner dish. You can do both, of course, but this dish is equally delicious served cold, making it an ideal lunch recipe.
“When I don’t know what to cook, I come back to this dish time and again.”
- 1 lb. (400 g) red beets, baked until thoroughly cooked
- 1 ¼ cups (300 g) ricotta
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 oz. (50 g) freshly grated cheese
- ½ cup (100 ml) cream
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes