Crunchy, savoury, soft and very easy to make.
A tasty way to cook courgettes
Angelo, our neighbour over the wall, has the most beautiful, generous vegetable garden and in the summer there is an abundance of courgettes. I like to find as many different ways of using them as I can. So here is the first one. The thing I like about this courgette gratin is that it's versatile and super quick. Anyone can make it and you can vary it to suit your tastes and what you happen to have in the fridge and cupboard.
This is what the courgette gratin looks like before it goes in the oven. I chose to make mine with rye breadcrumbs this time because that's what I had. So the baked dish looks quite dark. You can use any type of breadcrumbs: fresh, dried, white, wholemeal, whatever you have and like.
I made the crumbs from a slice of bread I had left over - not quite hard, semi-soft. I just blitzed it in my mini processor and then mixed it with grated parmesan, some dried oregano and a teaspoon of chilli flakes.
Courgette Gratin - The Recipe
You can't really go wrong with this recipe. Try it and see
Makes Enough for 4 as a side dish.
Takes About 10 minutes to make and 35 minutes to bake
The Ingredients
4 or 5 courgettes, depending on the size
1 large slice of bread (which you can make into breadcrumbs) or two generous handfuls of breadcrumbs. Remember you can use fresh or dried bread, white or wholemeal or rye. Any kind is good and will just give a different result.
2 good handfuls of finely grated parmesan or pecorino
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
The Making
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200 centigrade.
Step 2
Wash, dry and slice the courgettes lengthways and then in half across.
Pour a good couple of tablespoons into the bottom of your roasting dish and make sure it covers the whole surface.
Step 3
Lay the courgettes skin side down to fill the whole dish and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Make the breadcrumbs, if you are making your own. You can make them as fine or coarse as you like. If not making your own, skip to step 5.
Step 5
In a bowl, mix together the topping ingredients; breadcrumbs, parmesan or pecorino, oregano and chilli.
Step 6
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the courgettes and then drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the topping. Season with salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt as the cheese will add its own saltiness.
Step 7
Bake in the middle of the oven for about 30 or 35 minutes until the topping is golden and looks crunchy.
Ideally, serve warm rather than boiling hot, so let it cool for about 15/20 minutes once out of the oven.
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