Baked Mushrooms With Ricotta & Pesto

English_Rose's Note:

The rich pesto helps balance the tangy ricotta and earthy mushroom flavours of this easy vegetarian appetizer.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 16 chestnut mushrooms
• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons pesto sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 tablespoon pesto sauce, to serve
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped, to serve

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Choose an ovenproof dish big enough to take all the mushrooms in one layer and generously brush it with 1 tbsp of the oil.
3. Trim the mushroom stalks level with their caps, if you need to, then put the mushrooms, rounded cap side down, in the dish.
4. Mix the ricotta, pesto and garlic and spoon into the mushrooms (there's enough to pile it up quite high). Sprinkle over the parmesan and drizzle over the rest of the oil.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft all the way through and the cheese is just starting to turn golden. If this doesn't happen, put the dish under a preheated broiler for a few minutes. If the mushrooms have given off a lot of juice after baking, you can drain some of it off.
6. To serve, blob a little pesto on top of each mushroom and scatter with the parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.