Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Finely grate the zest of the unwaxed lemon, chop or crush the garlic and pick the thyme leaves from the sprigs.
Stir the ricotta with the lemon zest, garlic, sea salt and black pepper in a bowl until smooth. The mixture can be seasoned quite boldly.
Spread the ricotta mixture in a small ovenproof dish. Make a light pattern on the surface with a spoon so it browns better.
Drizzle everything with olive oil and scatter over the thyme. Bake the ricotta at 200 °C for 20–25 min, until the top is golden brown and cracked in places.
Take the dish out of the oven and let the baked ricotta cool briefly. That makes it a little creamier and easier to serve.
Serve hot or warm, for example with cucumber and pepper sticks. It's also very good on toasted sourdough bread.
Good to know
So simple and yet special. Lightly golden on the outside, soft and creamy inside – exactly the kind of oven dish that makes an impression without much effort.
Swaps
Ricotta → soft goat's cheese (often a little more protein and a more distinctive flavour); thyme → oregano (also provides aromatic plant compounds); lemon → unwaxed orange (milder, with a little folate and vitamin C); olive oil → avocado oil (mild in flavour, with monounsaturated fats)
Allergens
Contains milk, so it's not suitable for people with a milk protein allergy; sourdough bread, if you serve it, contains gluten. Usually fine for children if the garlic and pepper are used sparingly; in pregnancy, only use pasteurised ricotta and serve it heated right through.
