I sometimes struggle with courgettes. They’re not my first choice but this is a flavoursome recipe that will restore even the biggest courgette critic’s faith in this humble vegetable. It can also be made vegan by substituting the cheese and cream with the alternatives suggested below.

Ingredients

2 x large courgettes, cut in half and then into triangles

8-10 cloves garlic

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Juice of one lemon and half lemon zest

2×400g tins of butterbeans + their stock (the water in the can)

200g double cream

30g parmesan

75g of dry white wine

1tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper

1 slice of white bread blitzed to rough breadcrumbs

1 handful of almonds finely chopped

Handful fresh basil roughly chopped

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 190c/fan 170/gas mark 5

Chop the courgettes and peel the garlic. Add them plus 5 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper into an ovenproof dish with a lid, flesh part facedown.

Slow cook for 30 mins, then remove the lid and cook for 15 mins more until slightly browning on top. Remove and squish down with a fork. drain some of the oil to reserve for garnish.

Add the butterbeans, their juice, the white wine and the lemon juice and put the lid back on and place in oven for another 10 minutes.

Mix in the cream and parmesan (you can use cashew cream and nooch if vegan) and gently stir together. No need to heat.

To make the crunchy topping

Fry the almonds and breadcrumbs in the remaining 1tbs olive oil. Add the salt and garlic powder until crispy. Let the mix rest on a plate lined with kitchen roll until ready to use.

Spoon the mix into individual serving bowls and sprinkle with the nutty breadcrumb mix, shredded basil and lemon zest and serve.

Gary Townsend is the head chef and owner of Elements, Bearsden, Glasgow. www.elementsgla.com

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