Courgettes & Sweet Tomatoes
A simple combo of good ingredients really allows each one to sing. It’s cheap, tasty, honest food, and the result is super-versatile, meaning it can be enjoyed as a side dish, an antipasto, tossed through pasta or piled on bruschetta.
Serves 4 - 8 / Cooks in 30-55 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 50g Dry Cure Smoked Streaky Bacon
- 4 firm courgettes
- 200g ripe cherry tomatoes on the vine
- 4 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Place a large frying pan on a high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Peel and lightly squash the garlic clove and add to the pan, moving it around to perfume the oil. Slice the bacon into rough 1cm pieces and add to the pan to let the fat render out. Trim the courgettes, halve lengthways, then chop into 2cm chunks. Stir into the pan, then season with a little sea salt and a good pinch of black pepper. Halve or quarter the tomatoes, deseed, and add to the pan. Pick, roughly chop and add the parsley leaves.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Or you can turn the heat down lower and cook it for 40 minutes, so you get a deeper, sweeter, frumpier result, adding a splash of water to loosen, if needed. Both ways are delicious, and celebrate courgettes at their very best. Just before serving, taste and check you’ve got the seasoning spot on.
Recipe and photo credit: Jamie Oliver