Ross says: “I was inspired to cook asparagus this way after trying a dish at the very beautiful Atelier September in Copenhagen. They served the asparagus cut into rounds like this and I’ve done it a lot since. The British asparagus season is so short that I try to cook with them every day when they’re around. This means that later in the season, I may be searching for ways to cook them that keep me inspired. Something simple like cutting them differently satisfies that for me, and I love the delicacy it gives to the asparagus. Asparagus always matches beautifully with dairy because of its freshness.”

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 200g (7oz) ricotta
• zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp extra virgin
• olive oil
• 2 × 250g (9oz) bunches of asparagus
• 4 slices of bread, toasted
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put the ricotta, lemon zest and juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and a generous grind of pepper into a bowl. Whisk until smooth and light.

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus, then cut them into 1cm rounds. Fill a bowl with cold water and ice and set it to one side.

Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to the boil, then drop in the asparagus pieces and cook for about 1 minute. You want the asparagus pieces to remain crunchy, so be careful not to overcook them. Drain and transfer straight to the ice bath. This will stop the cooking and also help the asparagus keep their fresh green colour.

Cut the slices of toast in half and lay them on a plate. Spoon some of the ricotta onto each piece, then use the back of your spoon to spread it across the toast.

Drain the asparagus and pat them gently dry with a dish towel. Put them into a bowl, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix gently, then top the whipped ricotta with a generous spoonful of the dressed asparagus. Season again if you like, then serve immediately.

Ross says: “A very simple version of this, minus the confit garlic and burrata, is my go-to comforting Sunday night meal, so definitely feel free to simplify it to make it suitable for the occasion you’re cooking for. The addition of the confit garlic and burrata elevates it if you’re having friends round or you want to cook something a little more special.”

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 × 150g balls of burrata
• 700g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
• extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
• ½ bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked
• 50ml double (heavy) cream
• 500g rigatoni
• 1 head of confit garlic (see page 149 of Stay For Supper)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Take the burrata out of the refrigerator so it’s at room temperature when you’re ready to serve.

Put the tomatoes and garlic cloves into a baking tray (pan), drizzle generously with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put a splash of olive oil, the onion and a pinch of salt into a saucepan over a low-medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the tomato purée, stir to combine and cook for another two minutes.

Shred most of the basil, keeping about eight leaves back for serving. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add them to the onions along with the basil and cream. Season with salt and pepper, then allow to cook for about 10 minutes over a medium heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to the boil and cook the rigatoni according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving about two ladles of the pasta water.

Add the pasta water to the tomato sauce and let it cook for a couple more minutes, then add the rigatoni. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for just a couple of minutes until the pasta is completely covered with the sauce.

Divide the pasta between shallow bowls and top each bowl with half a ball of burrata. Finish with a few confit garlic cloves, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and a couple of fresh basil leaves.

Ross says: “A galette is basically a simpler version of a tart, and I love it for that reason. You may have realised by now that I love pastry, and this is a great way to experiment with it if you’re not that confident yet. This recipe combines a few of my favourite things, with nuts and fruit and then basil bringing a bit of savoury to what would otherwise be a very sweet pudding. I macerate the fruit in the basil and sugar syrup overnight, but you could also do this just for an hour or so to get a similar effect. As with most puddings, this is perfect with a spoonful of lightly whipped cream.”

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

• 4 peaches, halved, stoned and thickly sliced
• ½ bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked, plus extra to serve
• 100g caster  sugar
• juice of ½ lemon
• 60g blanched hazelnuts
• 1 × quantity shortcrust pastry (page 169), made with 40g caster sugar (or use shop-bought)
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 3 tbsp demerara sugar
• whipped cream, to serve

Method

Put the peach slices and basil leaves into a bowl.

Sprinkle the sugar and squeeze the lemon over the peaches and basil, then cover the bowl and set aside to macerate for a few hours, or preferably overnight.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 160°C fan (325°F) and line a baking tray (pan) with baking parchment. Place the baking tray that you’re going to cook the galette on in the oven while it heats up, which will help you get a lovely crispy base on the galette.

Put the hazelnuts onto another baking tray and toast them in the oven for 5 minutes, keeping a close eye on them. Take them out and set aside to cool.

To assemble the galette, place the pastry on a lightly floured surface and flatten it into a disc with the heel of your hand. Flour the top, then roll it out into a circle roughly 30cm

(12 inches) wide. Take the hot baking tray out of the oven and carefully transfer the pastry to the baking tray.

Drain the peaches and basil in a colander, then place them neatly in the centre of the pastry, leaving about 5cm (2 inches) around the edge. Fold the sides of the pastry over the peaches. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg, then sprinkle it with the demarara sugar.

Bake the galette for about 45 minutes until golden and crisp, checking it after 30 minutes. While the galette is baking, roughly chop the hazelnuts.

Remove the galette from the oven and scatter over the hazelnuts while it’s warm. Serve with fresh basil leaves and a dollop of whipped cream.