Did you ever find yourself with your fridges’ crisper full of zucchinis? If the answer is yes, then this recipe is an easy and delicious way to enjoy them. Roasting vegetables has always been my go to way of cooking them. What’s not to like about minimal prep work and a flavourful, flawless meal at the end? Not to mention, there’s just one baking tray to wash! The roasted zucchini is a little bit crispy, but mostly creamy and soft. Combined with fresh ricotta and mint, it will become a mouth-watering side dish with surprising textures and flavours.
Ingredients used:
- Zucchinis: The main vegetable in this side dish. Summer season gives us these delicious, sweet and creamy veggies, which are perfect for roasting, grilling or sautéing.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is added to help the zucchinis to become a little bit crispy.
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Always a must for proper seasoning.
- Sweet Smoked Paprika: This develops an incredible smokiness.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is best. It brightens and brings out the flavours even more.
- Ricotta Cheese: It’s smooth, creamy and slightly sweet. It pairs really well with that roasted zucchini.
- Fresh Mint: There’s something so refreshing about mint on a hot summer day. Plus, that cool down effect it’s appreciated.
In addition, you can top the roasted zucchinis with some pine nuts or walnuts for extra crunch. For the winter version of this recipe, you can dollop the ricotta halfway through with the zucchinis. As a result, the cheese will fluff and become just like clouds.
We all know triangles taste better, but you can cut the zucchinis in anyway you like. You just need to adjust the cooking time if needed. Also, flip them once halfway through if you notice they get brown too fast on one side. You can serve those roasted zucchinis with some chicken or turkey breast, with any type of pasta or why not, on it’s own on a nice piece of bread.
Easy Roasted Zucchini with Ricotta and Mint
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchinis
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- ¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 bunch fresh mint leaves thinly sliced, for serving
- 200 g fresh ricotta cheese for serving
Instructions
- Spread the diced zucchini on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika.
- Roast for 20 minutes at 180°C or until the zucchini is golden brown around the edges.
- Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice on the zucchinis, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and taste for seasoning.
- Add the thinly sliced mint leaves and the ricotta cheese right before serving.
