Courgettes and ricotta with lemon & garlic on toasted sourdough

Name: Courgettes and ricotta with lemon & garlic on toasted sourdough
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 shallot, thinly sliced into rounds, layers separated; 1 tsp fine salt; 4 courgettes; 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 4 slice/s large or 8 small slices sourdough; Pinch ground black pepper; 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; 1 unwaxed lemon, zested; ½ x 250g tub ricotta; 10 g Parmigiano Reggiano, for grating

Melissa Thompson's Maltese dish really brings out the best of each ingredient as they play together in perfect harmony.

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HealthyLow in saturated fat1 of your 5 a day

Serves4
CourseLunch
Prepare10 mins
Cook25 mins
Total time35 mins

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Ingredients

1 shallot, thinly sliced into rounds, layers separated
1 tsp fine salt
4 courgettes
3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 slice/s large or 8 small slices sourdough
Pinch ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 unwaxed lemon, zested
½ x 250g tub ricotta
10g Parmigiano Reggiano, for grating

Method

Put the shallot in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Shake to cover, set aside for 10 minutes, then rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Trim the courgettes, then cut them in ½ lengthways. Use a teaspoon to scrape Courgettes and ricotta with lemon & garlic on toasted sourdough out the core (this helps the courgettes cook quicker as a lot of moisture is in the middle. You can freeze it and add to soups or ragù). Slice into half moons, no thicker than 0.5cm. Add to a bowl and drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, then mix, ensuring all cut surfaces are covered.
Set a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry ⅓ of the courgettes at a time so the pan isn’t overcrowded. Fry for 3-4 minutes until they colour, forming medium-brown patches on the underside, then turn them over and repeat on the other side. Remove to a plate and repeat for the remaining courgettes.
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a high heat, drizzle the sourdough with the remaining 2 tbsp oil and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until toasted. If you don’t have a griddle pan, use a frying pan or the grill.
Return all the cooked courgettes to the frying pan and season with some salt, the ground black pepper and garlic. Turn the heat down and toss – you want to gently cook the garlic, not burn it. Turn the heat off, then immediately add the lemon zest to the pan and toss again.
Place the toasted sourdough onto plates and smear with the ricotta. Pile the courgettes equally between the plates. Add a few shallots on top and finish with a sprinkle of parmesan.