Courgette parmigiana with gochujang and black sesame

Portion size: Serves 4
Prep time 20 min. Cooking time 1 hour
Difficulty: easy

Freezable

Gluten-free

Vegetarian

Pollyanna Coupland

Food producer, delicious.

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This easy vegetarian dinner is a variation on a traditional parmigiana, made with slices of charred courgettes smothered in a rich tomato and parmesan sauce.

Savoury sensation: The courgettes soak up that umami-packed parmesan tomato sauce instead of the usual aubergine. That umami is ramped up even more thanks to the addition of fiery gochujang paste.
Make ahead: The dish can be made and layered up a day or two in advance, then baked fresh when ready to serve. It freezes well too, so it’s great for a weekend batch cook.

Browse more delicious courgette recipes, from fritters to loaf cakes.

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Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
4 large courgettes
8 garlic cloves, finely slice
2 tbsp gochujang paste (see Know-how)
3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
30g basil
250g (2 balls) mozzarella, torn
4 tsp black sesame seeds
80g parmesan, finely grated (or a vegetarian alternative)

Specialist kit

30cm x 23cm baking dish (approx.)

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Method

Put a large frying pan over a high heat with a generous splash of vegetable oil. Slice the courgettes lengthwise into long, 5-10mm thick pieces. Fry the slices (working in batches) in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper, then repeat with the other slices, adding more oil as needed.
While the courgettes are frying, make the gochujang tomato sauce. Put a large saucepan over a medium heat with the 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add the sliced garlic and cook gently for a minute until just softened, then add the gochujang paste and tinned tomatoes. Simmer until reduced by half, then season well with salt and pepper.
Heat the oven to 180°C/160ºC fan/gas 4. To assemble the parmigiana, cover the base of the baking dish with a single layer of courgette slices. Next, add a few torn basil leaves, then top with tomato sauce, followed by some torn mozzarella, a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and some grated parmesan. Repeat the layers until everything is used up, then bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until bubbling and golden. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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Nutrition

411kcals Calories
25g (13g saturated) Fat
26g Protein
18g (15g sugars) Carbs
4.3g Fibre
1.9g Salt

Cook smarter

Gochujang is a Korean fermented chilli paste. It’s available from most large supermarkets – the Korean brands tend to taste better (and spicier) than supermarket own brands.