The Italian Flag

The Italian Flag: green courgettes, white mozzarella cheese and red tomatoes for a tasty Mediterranean dish!

This is a protein-based recipe that can be eaten on its own or as part of a main meal.

I think of it as the Italian flag because it has green, white and red ingredients (courgettes, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and tomatoes) and a Mediterranean flavour, due also to its herbs.

Buon appetito!

Preparation time: 10 minutes before cooking
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
2 medium courgettes
2oz (55g) of mozzarella cheese
2 large tomatoes
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
½ large clove of garlic
½ tablespoon of fresh chopped basil or ½ teaspoon of dried oregano
Extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
(Optional extra: green salad)

1. Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5/375F/190C
2. Slice the mozzarella, courgettes and tomatoes, grate the Parmesan, chop the basil and crush the garlic
3. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan
4. Add the garlic and sauté the courgette slices to a golden colour on both sides
5. Arrange the slices of courgette, cheese and tomato into overlapping layers in a heatproof dish so they look like slates on a roof
6. Sprinkle over a generous heaped tablespoon of grated Parmesan, basil or oregano, and add black pepper
7. Bake for 30 minutes
8. Serve alone or with green salad