Button mushrooms with ricotta, tomatoes and basil

Yield:Serves 2 vegetarians as a main course, 4 as a starter

Button mushrooms with ricotta, tomatoes and basil is a very quick and simple recipe. It could be served as an entree, but it also goes very nicely with a few slices of bacon and a fried or scrambled egg.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium heirloom tomatoes à 150 grams, halved and cored
• 150 grams cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed; Ulrike: I used giant button mushrooms
• 125 grams fresh ricottaa cheese
• 2 tablespoons small fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Position an oven rack about 8 inches below the heating element and preheat the broiler to low heat. Arrange the tomatoes cut side up on a large heavy baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the tomatoes, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the thyme. Broil the tomatoes for 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Arrange the mushrooms, gill side up, on the same baking sheet with the tomatoes, and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over them. Turn the mushrooms over and brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Broil the mushrooms and tomatoes for 5 minutes.
3. Turn the mushrooms gill side up, and spoon the ricotta onto the mushrooms. Continue broiling for a further 5 minutes, or until the ricotta is heated through and beginning to brown on top. At this point, the mushrooms and tomatoes should be just tender and the tomatoes should be slightly browned on top. Transfer them to a platter, sprinkle with the basil, and serve.

total time: 30 minutes
preparation time: 5 minutes
cooking/baking time: 20 minutes