Spicy Baked Tomato and Ricotta Pasta

There’s been a lot of hype recently around the ‘viral baked feta pasta’ recipe, where you throw a block of feta into a baking tray, along with a bunch of cherry tomatoes, garlic and oil and bake until saucy and delicious.
Now don’t get me wrong, that recipe is pretty amazing and absolutely full of flavour, but when I think about baked, cheesy pasta dishes, my mind immediately goes to Naples and the beauty that is freshly made ricotta, tomatoes in the peak of seasonal goodness and the heat of red chilli.
So, it was only natural that my take on this recipe would involve all of these flavours.
Introducing my Spicy Baked Tomato and Ricotta Pasta.
I hope you give it a try and find it’s creamy goodness as tasty as I do. And as always, if you do try it, I’d love to hear about and see your dishes. Just tag @mosslarder in Instagram when you post your amazing creations and I’ll be sure to check them out!

SPICY BAKED TOMATO AND RICOTTA PASTA
Ingredients:
500g tomatoes
300g cherry tomatoes
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chilli flakes (adjust to personal heat preference)
1 tbsp olive oil
200g set ricotta
1/4 cup ripped basil leaves
1/4 cup water
1 pkt gluten free, cooked

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Add 500g tomatoes, 300g cherry tomatoes, 3 garlic cloves, chilli flakes, oregano, salt and olive oil to a baking pan. Mix until well combined.
3. Place the set ricotta in the middle of the pan and bake at 180°C for 40 minutes.
4. After 40 minutes bring a pot of water to boil and add your pasta. Cooking until al dente.
Once al dente, drain the pasta and set aside, ready to add to the baked tomato and ricotta.
5. While the pasta is cooking, roughly mash the tomatoes & garlic with a fork, add 1/4 cup water and mix through the tomatoes, then return to the oven to cook for a further 10 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and mash the ricotta into the mashed tomato, mixing together well. Tumble the pasta into the sauce, slice 200g cherry tomatoes in half and add to the ricotta & tomato sauce. Add the basil leaves and mix until well combined.
7. Scoop into bowls and enjoy the warmth of cheesy, carby pasta goodness!