Baked Ricotta and Cherry Tomato Linguini

To celebrate the Euros and my pending vote of "remain" in the EU Referendum here is a very easy Italian vegetarian pasta dish. Less than an hour to make and so tasty, it is a take on Jamie Oliver's superfood recipe (I have cut out a couple of corners)

Ingredients;
250gm Ricotta
100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 x Red Chilli
4 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Bunch Fresh Lemon Thyme
Zest of 1 Lemon
500gm Mixed Cherry Tomatoes
Brown or plain Spaghetti or Linguini
Salt & Pepper to Season
Garnish;
10gm Fresh Rocket
5ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10ml Balsamic Vinegar
10gm Pecorino Cheese

Method;
1. Pour the oil into a small bowl, thinly slice the garlic, and chilli and add to bowl
2. Zest the lemon and add to bowl with salt and pepper and fresh thyme (take leaves off the stalks)
3. Take ricotta out of packaging and rub oil mix all over the cheese
4. Place the cherry tomatoes around the ricotta and pour over the oil mix over the tomatoes
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 30 min
6. Once 30 min has surpassed cook the pasta as per packet instructions (usually around 10-12 min) leaving the ricotta to bake in the oven.
7. Once pasta is cooked al dente remove oven tray from the oven - take cheese out of tray and place back into bowl where you mixed the oil
8. Pour 100ml of pasta water in the oven tray and then drain the pasta in a colander
9. Give the the tomatoes in the tray a bash and mix with everything in the tray
10. Add the pasta to the tray and mix thoroughly
11. Serve in your favourite pasta bowl, top with some of the baked ricotta, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pecorino cheese and rocket - enjoy!

Confit Duck Burger

So I had the absolute pleasure of eating this bad boy for dinner just in time for the England game at the Euro's...

Recipe is as follows;
Serves 2
2x Brioche Buns
2x Duck Legs
100gm Goats Cheese with Rind
50gm Honey
30gm Dijon Mustard
20ml Truffle Oil
50gm Mayonnaise
10gm Rocket

Method;
For the Duck
1. Season the Duck Legs with Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
2. Place in a pre heated oven at 160c for 90 min, leave to cool for 5 min
3. Take skin off duck, leave to one side then shred the remaining duck leg

For the Sauce
1. Mix the Truffle Oil, Mustard and Mayonnaise together

To Serve
1. Slice brioche in half, slice the goats cheese and slap it on the base of the brioche
2. Place brioche with goats cheese in the oven for 4 min
3. Once Goat Cheese has gone all gooey, take out of oven, drizzle the honey over the goats cheese
4. On top slice of brioche smother on the truffle/mustard sauce
5. Place shredded duck on top of the goats cheese and honey
6. Top the duck with the skin
7. Top the skin with Rocket

Voila - Heart attack on a plate, but wow its worth it....