Zucchine alla poverella

Luca Pappagallo’s selected zucchine alla poverella is a Puglian zucchini side dish flavoured with garlic, white-wine vinegar and mint. The thin slices are dried before they enter the olive-oil pan.

Trimmed zucchini are sliced into thin rounds and spread without overlap on paper-lined trays. A clean cloth covers them while they dry, preparing the slices for browning.

Whole peeled garlic cloves warm in a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil. The zucchini then cook over medium heat with gentle stirring until golden and tender while retaining their shape.

Salt seasons the browned slices before white-wine vinegar is added over high heat. Chopped fresh mint follows, completing the sharp, herbal dressing in the same pan.

The heat is switched off and the zucchini cool to a warm serving temperature. The author also offers them cold, preserving both ways of presenting this selected garlic-and-mint version.