Courgette and Ricotta Bake (6)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.