This may sound like a simple and not very exciting combination, but I practically live on it in the summer when my small patch of zucchini produces more vegetables than I can cope with. It’s also well behaved — you can make it earlier in the day to eat in the evening.–Diana Henry
Zucchini with Ricotta, Mint, and Basil Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 medium zucchini
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 12 ounces ricotta salata cheese, fresh if possible, broken into chunks
- 1/2 cups pecorino cheese shavings
- 1 small bunch basil, leaves only
- 1 small bunch mint, leaves only
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- 1. Have everything ready and on hand because you will layer the dish as you cook it.
- 2. Cut the zucchini into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan and cook the zucchini, in batches, until golden on each side and tender. Add more olive oil as you need it and season the zucchini with salt and pepper as you cook them.
- 3. Put the zucchini in the bottom of a broad shallow bowl and cook the next batch. When you have a layer, put some ricotta, pecorino, and herbs on the top, plus a good squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Continue like this until you’ve layered all the zucchini. Finish with some herbs and shavings of pecorino and drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Serve while still warm, or at room temperature.
Zucchini with Ricotta, Mint, and Basil Recipe © 2009 Diana Henry. Photo © 2009 Jonathan Lovekin. All rights reserved.
[Brenda C.] Okay, I could tell by reading this recipe that it’d be good. But I didn’t expect it to be great. In fact, it was so delicious we’re having it for dinner again tonight. Frying coins of zucchini, layering them with fresh ricotta salata, pecorino shavings, fresh mint, and basil, and then drizzling them with lemon juice and olive oil was such an eye-opener for me. This is officially at the top of my favorite-ways-to-use-zucchini list (and my list is lengthy). The cheeses melted into ooey gooey goodness, and the oil, lemon juice, and herbs? Oh my. We’ve the fortune of obtaining fresh ricotta and pecorino from our local cheese maker and both were so lovely here. Just imagine the flavors! Perhaps you think that those incredible ingredients would be a waste on ho-hum zucchini. Heck no. It’s not very often that dishes surprise me this much. This recipe really takes humble zucchini and elevates it to wow. When thinking about ways to improve it, I thought perhaps adding toasted pine nuts or capers would make it even more perfect but decided that it’s just great as is. It’s one of those recipes I had to call my mom about!