Antipasto - cooking recipe

Ingredients

None None FOR THE CHILI AND HERB RICOTTA
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
None None FOR THE BEET DIP
2 cans (15 oz each) sliced beets, drained
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
None None FOR THE ANTIPASTO
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
12 oz marinated mushrooms
1 None baguette (10 oz), thinly sliced
10 None fresh figs
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
10 slices prosciutto
8 oz marinated green olives

Preparation

For the chili and herb baked ricotta, preheat the oven to 425\u00b0F. Place the cheese in a baking dish. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper and half the red pepper flakes. Bake, uncovered, for about 15 mins or until warmed through. Sprinkle with oregano and the remaining red pepper flakes. Place the cheese under a preheated broiler until lightly browned.
For the beet dip, blend or process the ingredients until the mixture forms a smooth puree.
Cook the asparagus, mushrooms and bread on a heated oiled grill pan until the asparagus is tender and the bread is browned on both sides.
Cut the figs, from the top, into quarters, being careful not to cut all the way through. Open them slightly. Fill the figs with goat cheese and wrap one slice of prosciutto around each fig, securing with a toothpick if necessary. Arrange on a platter with baked ricotta, beet dip, grilled asparagus, grilled mushrooms and olives. Serve with grilled bread.