Oven-Baked Courgettes
Featured in the Vegetronic cookbook, this oven baked courgette recipe is enhanced with garlic, tomatoes and thyme. A tasty and simple vegetarian side dish idea!
Introduction
Alexis Gauthier gives us this scrummy vegetable side-dish, taken straight from his book Vegetronic.
Ingredients
| 800 g | ripe plum tomatoes |
| 3 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 | garlic clove |
| Salt | |
| Black pepper | |
| 1 tbsp | sugar |
| 4 | sprigs fresh thyme (lemon thyme can also be used) |
| 600 g | courgettes (fattest you can find) |
| 2 tbsp | grated Parmesan |
Method
Preheat the oven to 120°C.
Remove the peduncle (inside stalks) of each tomato and wash them under very cold water for 20 seconds. Drain and dry. Cut them in 1/2cm-thick slices.
Put some olive oil in a large roasting tray and rub the garlic clove over it. Line slices of tomato in the dish and add salt, pepper, sugar and a little fresh thyme. Sprinkle on a bit of olive oil and put in the oven for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, open the oven door slightly – you can use a wooden spoon to prevent the door from closing fully. Let the tomatoes dehydrate and concentrate their taste for a further 30 minutes.
Meanwhile wash the courgettes and cut them into 1/2cm-thick slices. Put them in a vegetable bowl and toss in olive oil with salt and pepper.
When the tomatoes are ready, alternate them with the courgettes in a pot. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and the remaining thyme.
Put the oven to grill position and finish with a little grilling of the Parmesan and thyme tops. Serve very hot. You will be amazed by the smell of thyme, Parmesan and tomato gratin. So memorable!
