Caramelised onion & bacon tart

SERVES 6 PREP 25 mins COOK 1 hr 20 mins EASY G

140g bacon lardons

5 large onions, thinly sliced 2 tbsp olive oil

5 thyme sprigs

1 tbsp brown sugar

½ x 500g pack bread mix 2 tbsp semolina, fine polenta or plain flour

140g ricotta

1 large egg, beaten 100g Gruyère, grated

1 Put the lardons in a large, cold, non-stick frying pan and turn the heat on low. Cook very gently, stirring occasionally, until the fat has melted and they are beginning to crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside, but keep all the fat in the pan. 2 Add the onions, oil and 2 thyme sprigs. Cook over a low heat for 20-25 mins until the onions are softened. Stir in the sugar and cook over a higher heat for 5 mins more until golden brown. Tip into the bowl with the lardons and leave to cool.

3 When the onions are cool, tip the bread mix into another mixing bowl with leaves stripped from 1 thyme sprig, and make up following pack instructions, but don’t knead or rise. Scatter the semolina over a 30 x 40cm shallow tin or baking tray, and roll out the dough to fit it. Season the ricotta with 1 tsp salt and some pepper, and spread over the dough, leaving a small border. Mix the egg and Gruyère into the onion mixture with seasoning, then spread over the ricotta. Scatter with the remaining thyme. Open-freeze for 2 hrs, then wrap well in cling film and freeze for up to three months. Or heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 to bake straight away.

4 Cook for 40 mins until the base is crisp. To bake from frozen, heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and bake for 30 mins, then increase to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 15-20 mins.

PER SERVING 385 kcals • fat 20g • saturates 8g • carbs 35g • sugars 9g • fibre 3g • protein 17g • salt 1.6g