Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the top ½ inch off of the bulb of garlic (the pointy, thinner end). Place it on a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the foil up so that the garlic is tightly sealed and place it in the oven to roast for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the foil and place on a plate to cool.

Once the garlic is cool enough to touch, start making the dip by placing the ricotta in a food processor or blender. Gently squeeze the bulbs of garlic out of the cut end and put them into the food processor. Be careful that you don’t get any of the garlic peel in there. Blend until creamy and very few chunks remain.

Add in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper and blend one final time until the dip is silky smooth.

Meanwhile, make saute the tomatoes by heating ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Once hot, add in the tomatoes and saute, tossing often, for 7 minutes or until the tomatoes are blistered and softened.

Place the whipped ricotta in a shallow bowl and top with the blistered tomatoes (if using) as well as a generous drizzle of olive oil and some fresh basil. ENJOY with veggies or toasted bread.