Courgettes will now be keeping us company until the end of summer. Right now, the ones I buy come from Italy, but as soon as the summer is in full swing they will come in a glut from British farmers and allotments.
After a trip to Sicily, and a lot of aubergine parmigiana, I have been craving breadcrumb-topped bakes. This courgette and ricotta one has layers of texture that make me cook this again and again: crisp yet buttery courgettes, pillowy ricotta, and a topping of melty mozzarella and crunchy breadcrumbs. And something baked for 40 minutes is the perfect food for my life at the moment, as it cooks in the time it takes for bath, stories and bedtime with my son.
I’ve also been experimenting with vegetable dips to mix up our usual hummus, and this courgette one, with a hit of charred lemon, chilli and herbs layered over buttery roast courgettes, has been a hit. It’s a great way to use up any courgettes that are bruised or past their best – or, of course, for a glut from your garden when that times comes.
Crispy courgette and ricotta bake (above)
This is somewhere in parmigiana territory, but a little lighter and with no tomato. I have made this successfully for my vegan brother using a vegan, soft-style cheese in place of the ricotta and a vegan parmesan, and leaving out the mozzarella.
Prep 30 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 6
200ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 unwaxed lemons
Salt and pepper
A few sprigs oregano, leaves picked
1 bunch basil, leaves picked
6 medium courgettes, cut on a mandoline into roughly 1cm slices
100g parmesan (I use a vegetarian one)
500g ricotta
150g breadcrumbs
200g ball buffalo mozzarella
Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. In a medium-sized frying pan, add half the olive oil, the garlic, chopped onions and chilli, and fry for five minutes over a medium heat, until soft and lightly golden. Grate in the zest of one lemon, season well, remove from the heat and tip into a large bowl.
Pour the remaining oil into a 20cm x 25cm roasting dish, squeeze in the juice of both lemons, then add the oregano and basil leaves (this will be the marinade).
In batches, char the courgettes for two minutes on each side in the frying pan, then put them in the baking tray, giving them a good toss in the marinade each time.
Once the onion mixture has cooled slightly, grate in the parmesan, stir through the ricotta and season well. Lift the courgettes out of the baking tray and tip the excess marinade into a small bowl.
Now put your bake together: cover the base of the baking dish with a layer of courgettes, top with a layer of the ricotta mixture followed by another layer of courgettes. Keep layering until you’ve used everything up, finishing with a layer of courgettes.
Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining courgette marinade. Tear the mozzarella over the bake, top with the breadcrumbs and drizzle well with olive oil. Bake for 50 minutes, or until crisp and bubbling. Serve with a crisp, lemon-dressed salad.
Roast courgette and aleppo chilli dip
I like to keep this a little textured, so I chop it with a knife, but if you’re after a smoother texture, you could use a food processor. Turkish chilli, also called aleppo pepper or Syrian chilli, is a milder chilli with a red pepper note that I love to cook with. If you can’t get hold of it, use a smaller amount of dried red chilli to taste.
Prep 30 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4-6
4 medium courgettes
150ml good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole head garlic
1 tsp aleppo chilli
Salt and black pepper
1 unwaxed lemon
½ bunch parsley, leaves picked
A few sprigs mint
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Chop the courgettes into roughly 2cm pieces, put in a large roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, add the garlic and chilli, and season well with salt and pepper.
Finely chop half the lemon and its rind, discarding any pips as you go, and add to the tray. Squeeze the juice of the other half over the courgettes and pop the squeezed half into the tray, too.
Roast for 40 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Remove the courgettes from the oven, squeeze the garlic out of its skin into the tray, and leave to cool a little.
Roughly chop the parsley on a large board, add the courgettes and chop together until you have a creamy dip – you can use a food processor if you prefer. Scoop on to a serving plate and scatter over the mint leaves. Serve at room temperature with flatbreads or crudites for dipping.
