Pan Seared Zucchini with Whipped Lemon Ricotta & Feta
Somehow, at the end of every summer, I end up with an ABUNDANCE of zucchinis in the house. In the month of August, zucchinis are plentiful and inexpensive, hence the attractiveness of overbuying. Sure, I might not be buying much clothing or home goods any more, but somehow overbuying something is still in the addiction cards. I guess it could be worse than zucchini.
The seniors in the house love zucchini, but I wanted to do more than pan fry, roast or grill it to serve it as a side or over pasta. There is a pasta dish my family loves that we’ve been making for years, but I felt the need to do something different. I wanted to serve the zucchini as a really hearty side that would stand on its own or be filling alongside a salad for a vegetarian dinner night. There are a few essentials I always like having in the house, from lemons, to garlic, olive oil, herbs (dried or fresh) and at least 2-3 types of cheeses. This week we were going hard on ricotta and feta because I was planning a lot of mediterranean night themed dinners.
Because I’ve been on a cottage cheese kick also, and I cannot find my regular whipped cottage cheese in Myrtle Beach (get with it local grocery stores), I’ve been whipping small curd cottage cheese in the food processor to smooth it out - incorporating it into anything from frittatas to scrambled eggs, pancakes and other delights. So, it struck me, “Why not whip ricotta and feta together and see what happens?” I love whipped lemon ricotta on toasts/panini with honey or over pasta (we’ll get to that later too), but what about using the ricotta and feta as a silky, creamy sauce that would compliment roasted veggies? Instead of serving the zucchini with hummus or stacked with mozzarella “a la caprese” (without tomatoes, people, be a visionary) - I went this route.
Needless to say, the family was pleased as punch and this whipped ricotta and fet mixture paired well with roasted carrots and, honestly, would pair perfectly with a number of roasted veggies from broccoli to cauliflower, brussel sprouts, parsnips, turnips - you name it. Try to think of veggies as more than a side, but as the main dish, and you’ll also find your relationship with them to change into something really beautiful and creative.
Pan Seared Zucchini with Whipped Lemon Ricotta & Feta
4 zucchini, sliced lengthwise in half
Salt
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
Chicken or vegetable stock
¾ cup of ricotta (whole milk or part skim work or you can substitute in cottage cheese if you want a higher protein punch, but I love the silkiness of the ricotta here)
⅓ cup of feta cheese
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Basil for garnish
Prepping the zucchini
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and place flesh side up on a roasting tray
Salt the zucchini and allow them to sit for 30-45 minutes, the salt will allow water to draw out of the zucchini, making for a better sear when frying
Blot the zucchini with a paper towel to remove excess water
Prepping the whipped lemon ricotta and feta
Place ricotta, feta, lemon juice, lemon zest and pinch of salt in a food processor or blender
Whip until smooth, creamy and fragrant!
Put aside
Cooking the zucchini
-Heat a skillet (preferable non-stick, but also not the end of the world) over a medium flame, adding olive oil
-Place the zucchini, flesh side down, in the pan. Now, depending upon how large your pan/skillet is you don’t want to overcrowd the zucchini, so I suggest less is more. Think of searing off one batch and then the next
-Sear the zucchini over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until the flesh is rich and brown
-Turn the zucchini to the skin side and add a tablespoon (or a TAD more if you need it, DO NOT drench the pan in liquid, you will lose the sear - we want to create some moisture without getting soggy zucchini as our end result!) to the pan/skillet and cover the zucchini. This method avoids using excess olive oil to sear and allows the base/skin side of the zucchini to brown and cook to a medium softness if your zucchinis happen to be on the larger thicker side, which mine were
-Cook skin side down and covered for 2-4 minutes until zucchini are fork tender
-Repeat in batches with the remaining zucchini until all are pan seared
Serving 2 Ways
Spread the whipped lemon ricotta and feta on a platter or board and place the warm zucchini on top and garnish with lemon zest, basil and a sprinkle of sea salt
Allow the zucchini to completely cool and dollop the whipped lemon ricotta and feta directly on top of the zucchini and garnish with lemon zest, basil and a sprinkle of sea salt. The trick here is to allow the zucchini to cool long enough so the whipped cheese does not melt into the flesh of the zucchini the instant it is placed on top!