Zucchini with Goat Cheese

Zucchini with goat cheese is a simple and delicious dish that can be prepared in no time. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• Zucchini, 2-3 depending on size
• Fresh goat cheese, 200 g
• Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Fresh aromatic herbs (basil, thyme, mint), to taste
• Garlic, 1 clove (optional)

Preparation

1. Wash the zucchini and cut them into slices about half a centimeter thick.
2. In a large pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and, if desired, add a clove of garlic to flavor the oil.
3. Add the sliced zucchini to the pan and let them sauté until golden on both sides. Season with salt and pepper during cooking.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 °C (grill mode, if available).
5. Once the zucchini are golden, arrange them in a baking dish in a single layer or slightly overlapping.
6. Crumble the goat cheese evenly over the zucchini.
7. Bake the dish and let it gratinate until the goat cheese is lightly golden and bubbly, it will take about 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven’s power.
8. Remove the gratinated zucchini from the oven and garnish with finely chopped fresh aromatic herbs.
9. Serve immediately.

Zucchini with goat cheese can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or as a light main course, perhaps accompanied by a slice of rustic bread to absorb the flavorful aromatic oil released during cooking.

To give an even stronger Italian touch, you could add some grated Parmesan along with the goat cheese before baking, to get an even more flavorful and crispy crust. Or you could flavor the zucchini with some fried smoked pancetta, for a less light but definitely tasty version.