Sicilian Parmigiana di Zucchine
Lasagne built on grilled courgette slices instead of pasta sheets, layered with mozzarella, sliced hard-boiled egg, and a tomato sauce carrying a lot of fresh mint. The mint is the unexpected part and the reason to make it. From The Green Kitchen (David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl).
Ingredients
Assembly
- 1 batch basic tomato sauce (below), with a handful of mint added with the basil
- 5 courgettes
- 5 eggs, hard-boiled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 ½ oz buffalo mozzarella, drained and sliced
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1 large handful basil, leaves picked
- 1 large handful mint, leaves picked
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basic tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli
- 3 cans (14 oz each) whole plum tomatoes
- 5 sprigs basil, leaves picked
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chilli and sauté a couple of minutes until golden. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, mint, salt, and pepper, crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400°F. Slice the courgettes lengthwise about 1/3 inch thick. Put them in a large colander, sprinkle with 5 teaspoons salt, toss well, and drain 30 minutes.
Meanwhile peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them into 1/3-inch slices.
Rinse the courgette slices and pat dry. Brush with olive oil and grill 10 minutes, turning after 5, until golden. A griddle pan works too.
Ladle a little tomato sauce into a 10 by 12 inch baking dish. Layer courgettes, mozzarella, egg slices, parmesan, basil, mint, and pepper. Repeat. Finish with a layer of courgette, then cover completely with the last of the sauce and the parmesan.
Bake 40 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Let it set 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Salting and draining the courgettes is not optional. Skip it and the dish floods.
Let it rest the full 15 minutes or it will not cut cleanly.
The sliced hard-boiled egg between the layers is traditional Sicilian and reads strange until you eat it.