What I love about shopping on 9th Street is that you never know what you’re going to find on the stands – boxes of baby arugula, two red peppers for a dollar, or cauliflower in a hue that would make Prince proud. So many times I’ve gone there with a game plan, only to switch it up when something else caught my eye. On Sunday morning, I spotted jewel toned boxes of cherry tomatoes on a stand right outside of Esposito’s, I immediately bought two. I’d figure out what to do with them once I got home…
- 2 1/4 cups of coarse, fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- salt & pepper
- 1 1/2 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved
- Preheat oven to 450º.
- Toss the breadcrumbs, and olive oil in a 9 inch springform pan (foil pans work too) pressing evenly into the bottom.
- In a bowl, whisk the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, and basil until combined. Season with salt and pepper and spread over the crust.
- Arrange halved tomatoes over the cheese mixture, and lightly brush with olive oil.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, let cool for 10 minutes, and unmold. Serve warm or at room temperature.
