Pea, Herb and Ricotta Sformata

This is an Italian-style soufflé, known as a sformata, with fresh ricotta rather than eggs doing the work for you. It’s a bit denser and richer than its French counterpart and also a lot more forgiving – it only rises a little, which means you don’t have to worry about it collapsing just as you’re serving it. It’s incredibly quick to whip up, making it the ideal lunch or late supper. I’ve made a fresh and springy version with peas and sweet herbs, but in winter, try substituting the peas for spinach, cauliflower or broccoli – any veg goes.

ingredients

serves 4-6

1 tbsp butter
70g grated Parmesan, plus extra to finish
300g fresh or frozen peas
2 garlic cloves, peeled
A big handful of herbs such dill and chives, basil or mint, finely chopped
2 eggs, separated
75ml double cream
250g ricotta cheese

instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6 and rub the butter around a 1-litre baking dish. Scatter over a handful  tablespoons of the Parmesan and shake around the dish to coat.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the garlic for 3 minutes, then add the peas for a further 3-4 minutes (4-5 minutes if frozen) until tender. Drain, transfer to a bowl and crush with a potato masher, concentrating on the garlic first, until you have a coarse-ish bright green mush. Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the egg yolks, cream, ricotta and half the remaining Parmesan. Check and the seasoning.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs whites until you have stiff peaks, then fold into the pea mixture until just incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.

Transfer to the prepared dish and dust with the remaining cheese, then transfer to the middle oven for 30 minutes until the top is golden but the middle has a slight wobble. Serve with a green salad.