Typical Apuglian recipe: Parmigiana di Zucchine
5-6 zucchini, sliced about 1 cm thick
2 eggs
flour, for coating
80ml olive oil
1 egg, hard-boiled and sliced
basil & ricotta pesto
30g pecorino, grated
500g ricotta
6-8 basil leaves
2 handfuls fresh rocket
80ml olive oil
For the basil and ricotta pesto, put all the ingredients in a bowl, season with a bit of salt and black pepper, add a splash of warm water and process until smooth. Set aside.
In a saucepan of boiling salted water, par-boil the zucchini for 2–3 minutes then drain well. Pat them dry with paper towel.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Coat the zucchini slices first in the flour and then dip them in the egg.
In a wide frying pan over medium heat, fry the zucchini in the olive oil, for about 5 minutes each side.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In a 20 cm square or round baking dish, place a layer of zucchini slices, followed by half the basil and ricotta pesto, half the sliced boiled egg and half the grated pecorino. Continue layering the zucchini, pesto, egg and pecorino finishing with grated pecorino on top. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes. Finish under a hot grill for 8–10 minutes until golden.
