Gratin, crispy, light or with aromatic herbs: here's how to make these vegetables tasty, which are not content with being only a side dish
Whether they are au gratin, crispy, light or with aromatic herbs, le zucchini baked are always an excellent side dish. If instead they are prepared stuffed they can also become a second dish inviting, ideal for those who want to give a touch of taste to vegetables too.
Baked zucchini au gratin
Zucchini in the oven gratin they are as simple to prepare as they are good to eat. Four people need as many courgettes, 40 grams of grated cheese choice between parmesan or pecorino cheese, 50 grams of breadcrumbs, three or four cherry tomatoes, salt, oil, pepper, basil and mint. We start by cutting the courgettes in half lengthwise and placing them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. After dusting with the mix of cheese and breadcrumbsgarnish with the chopped cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper and put in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees. Before serving, sprinkle them with chopped basil and mint.
The secret to making them crunchy
With ingredients very similar to those au gratin, baked zucchini can also be made crunchy. In this case it is necessary cut them into thin slices, of a thickness that does not exceed three millimeters. Then they must be put in a bowl with three tablespoons of oil and a handful of salt and they should be left to flavor for at least a quarter of an hour. Meanwhile, in another bowl, you have to mix 50 grams of grated cheese, 50 grams of breadcrumbs, a clove of minced garlic and chopped herbs like sage, thyme, basil and mint. With this mixture, bread the courgette slices and arrange them on a lightly greased baking tray. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes and serve the baked zucchini while still hot.
Seasoning for the light version
For those who are particularly attentive to the line, there is also the light baked zucchini option. Already these vegetables contain very few calories (20 per 100 grams), if they are then cooked in the oven, season only a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt, are perfect for anyone who is working on the "costume test". Take four courgettes, cut them into thin slices lengthwise, arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, season with three tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees. To get one more gilding, just pass them under the grill at maximum temperature, for a maximum of five minutes. At the end of cooking you can add a handful of chopped basil.
Baked courgettes, also stuffed
In addition to the classic recipe of stuffed zucchini, there are different variations to try to bring something different but tasty to the table every time. In addition to meat, in fact, you can make zucchini alla sanremese, with potatoes and breadcrumbs, or with a filling of scamorza and ham. In this case, take four round courgettes, boil them for about ten minutes in a pot of boiling salted water and then immerse them in a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. In the meantime, cut 100 grams of scamorza cheese and 100 grams of ham into cubes. When the courgettes are warm, remove them from the top and remove the pulp, which will be transferred to a pan with a clove of garlic and, once cooked, transfer it to the mixer and blend it. Combine the blended pulp, an egg, 50 grams of pecorino cheese, the scamorza and the ham in a bowl and mix all the ingredients. With the compound obtained stuff the zucchini, arrange them in an ovenproof dish, cover them with the previously cut petiole, season with a drizzle of oil and bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
