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Grilled zucchini with mint, garlic and chilli serving with a zingy dressing and topped with creamy ricotta cheese. This dish is absolutely delicious served with crostini as a salad or a side dish to grilled meat.
This recipe is inspired by Zucchini alla Scapece, a Neapolitan recipe that was passed down in my husband’s family and that I absolutely adore.
The flavour combination of zucchini, mint, garlic and red wine vinegar is absolutely delicious and was the base for this recipe. I grilled the zucchini instead of frying and added fresh red chilli, lemon zest, pine nuts and ricotta.
I could happily eat this entire plate as it is, but it also makes a wonderful side dish to steak or grilled chicken.
Ingredient notes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It- Zucchini (courgettes) – choose medium-sized firm zucchini.
- Ricotta – Drain off any excess water first. Burrata or good-quality mozzarella would also work really well.
- Fresh red chilli – It’s difficult to give quantities for chillies because they all vary in heat. I only used 1/4 of the chilli pictured above as it was hot. You want a slight kick without it being overpowering.
- Mint – I absolutely love the combination of mint, garlic and zucchini. Fresh basil would also work well.
- Pine nuts – I like to toast mine before sprinkling on top but that’s optional.
- Red wine vinegar – you can replace this with either white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice.
Recipe tip!
Get your griddle pan extra hot – you can do this on a griddle pan (grill pan) or outdoor barbecue. Make sure it’s preheated and extra hot for a nice char on the zucchini.
More delicious zucchini recipes to try
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Grilled Zucchini with Garlic, Mint, Chilli and Ricotta
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini (courgettes)
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ fresh red chilli, use ¼ if very hot
- 2 sprigs fresh mint leaves
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- Ricotta for serving, (around 125g or ½ cup)
- 1.5 tablespoons pine nuts
Dressing
- 1.5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until lightly golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat a ridged grill pan over high heat (you can also do this on a barbecue outside).
- Trim the ends off the zucchini and cut into ½ cm (¼ inch) thick slices lengthways. Toss with 1–2 tablespoons olive oil, just enough to coat. Grill on both sides until charred and tender. Transfer to a plate and season with salt.
- To make the dressing, finely chop the chilli, garlic and mint leaves. Add to a bowl with the red wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk with a fork to combine.
- Arrange the zucchini on a serving plate and spoon over the dressing. Top with dollops of ricotta, grate over the lemon zest and scatter with the toasted pine nuts. Serve.
Notes
- Leftovers – leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep in advance – Grill the zucchini and make the dressing in advance, then store them separately in the fridge. Assemble with ricotta, lemon zest and pine nuts just before serving.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
