Sauteed Zucchini with Basil, Mint and Pinenuts
Author: Mariana Bull of Food 52, ever so slightly adapted from Deborah Madison's "Vegetable Literacy"
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini (or any summer squash), sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 small cloves garlic
- 10 mint leaves
- 5 basil leaves
- 1 heaping tablespoon capers, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons walnuts or pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 1 to 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Additional mint and basil, torn, to garnish
- Ricotta and your favorite bread (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Heat half of your olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add half the zucchini and sauté, flipping and turning every few minutes, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Don't salt them yet!
- While your zucchini cooks, chop together the garlic, mint, basil, and capers so that they intermingle and turn into a sort of knife pesto.
- When the zucchini is golden, remove it from the pan and cook the remaining zucchini in the remaining oil, just as you did the first batch.
- Then add the first batch back into the pan, along with the herb-garlic mixture and the vinegar, to taste.
- Taste for salt; add a good pinch, plus a few cracks of pepper. Toss well. Scoop everything out onto a serving plate.
- Right before serving, sprinkle on the nuts and extra herbs as a garnish.
- Carve out a corner of my serving dish, dollop on a big pile of ricotta, and serve everything together with thick slices of crusty bread.
Recipe by Sugar Plum Sisters at http://sugarplumsisters.com/2014/08/sauteed-zucchini-with-basil-mint-and-pinenuts/