Grilled Zucchini Ricotta Recipe with Basil Pesto

grilled zucchini ricotta recipe platter with cherry tomato and garlic oil

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5 from 3 votes

Grilled Zucchini Ricotta Recipe with Basil Pesto

A great light meal, perfect for meal prepping and staying on plan.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Diet: Low Calorie, Vegetarian

Servings: portions

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Elle John

Ingredients

2 Large Zucchini Courgettes
20 sprays of cooking spray
150 g Low Fat Ricotta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Basil Pesto
100 g Baby Plum Tomatoes
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Start by preparing the garlic oil: peel and crush the garlic, chop it in small pieces and mix it with the olive oil. Set aside and allow to infuse.
Secondly, mix the ricotta cheese with the pesto and season if required; set aside as well.
Prep the zucchini: Wash the zucchini. Remove the two ends and slice them vertically (~0.2 inches or 5mm in thickness); pat-dry the slices with a paper towel and set aside.
Warm up a grilling pan (or large skillet or non stick pan) and coat with a few sprays of cooking spray. Once warm, apply the slices of zucchini and allow to cook half way; once cooked half way, turn and finish cooking.
Tip: The zucchini will be ready once a fork can pierce them quite easily. Fresh zucchini can be eaten raw as well, so if you like them a bit firmer that is fine!
Once cooked, season the zucchini with salt and pepper if liked and serve with the garlic oil, basil pesto ricotta and cherry tomatoes.

Notes

Multiple modifications and additions can be made to this recipe.

I like to serve this as a starter when we have a barbecue, as I can prepare the ricotta sauce quite quickly and the zucchini can be grilled before the meat.

Should pesto not be a staple in your kitchen, you can mix the ricotta with fresh basil, with chopped mixed olives, or with thinly sliced mint. (This changes the calories in the recipe - like any modification!) You can make your own instant pesto recipe with the ingredients you have, according to your taste.

Many ricotta recipes don’t take full advantage of this creamy, fresh (surprisingly low calorie) cheese - you can use this ricotta and pesto mix as a dressing for your pasta, as well as a spread for some toasted bread.

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