Braised courgettes with ricotta, mint and fried breadcrumbs

The creamy ricotta, mint and fried crumbs make this a complete dish in itself, especially with a bit of bread for mopping. But if you wanted to, you could stir it all through pasta, or even have it alongside a roast chicken.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time:  45 minutes

SERVES

5

INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil, plenty, for frying

• 5 courgettes, halved lengthways and sliced thickly on an angle

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 lemons, juice and zest

• 1 tsp chilli flakes

• 250g ricotta

• 1 small bunch mint, stalks removed, leaves shredded

• 200g sourdough, blitzed into crumbs

METHOD

1. Set a large pan with a lid over a medium heat with plenty of oil. Add the courgettes and a good pinch of salt. Fry for ten minutes, letting as many pieces as possible take on some colour.

2. Add the garlic and cook for another three minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the lemon juice and pop the lid on, and turn the heat down really low. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the courgettes are super soft and smelling delicious.

3. Add the chilli flakes and cook for another minute or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4. While the courgettes are cooking, mix the ricotta with a pinch of salt, plenty of black pepper and lemon zest.

5. Set a frying pan over a medium heat with a good glug of oil. Add the breadcrumbs and toss in the hot oil, frying until they turn golden brown and crispy. Set aside to a plate lined with kitchen roll and sprinkle with coarse salt.

6. To serve, pile the courgettes onto a large warm dish (they don’t need to be piping hot when you serve), sprinkle over the mint and add dollops of ricotta. Finish with the crumbs.