This grilled zucchini stack with fresh ricotta and green tomatoes is perfect for summer.
A few weeks ago I was walking up and down the cheese display at the Whole Foods local equivalent grocery store near me mesmerized by all the choices.
Instead of the typical 3 or 4 dairy aisle big brands, there were literally hundreds of choices in front of me.
So of course I ended up picking what I know instead of trying something new like a big girl.
Ricotta.
Now it’s not that I haven’t had fresh ricotta before, I definitely have. It’s one of the best parts of any cannoli recipe.
But I have never bought it, brought it home and had it at my disposal for a few days.
Guys…it’s like creamy candy.
The addiction sets in fast.
Before you know it you’re on your 3rd bowl of the day with honey and fresh fruit and that’s after you’ve already taken a spoonful every time you open the fridge.
It’s the new nut butter.
When I ran out after the first purchase, I walked over to the “big brand” ricottas in the normal grocery store ready to throw a whole milk ricotta into the cart until I turned the container around and read the label.
Guar gum? Carrageenan? Xanthan gum? REALLY?!
Maybe that’s why that stuff doesn’t even compare to the creamy deliciousness of the fresh stuff.
Minus 10 more points for conventional grocery store crap.
Current score: -5000000
So off to the Whole Foods-esque store I went to get more of my fix and I haven’t been without it since.
I haven’t really used it much outside of breakfast and snacking, but this time I wanted to highlight it’s freshness in a side dish.
Zucchini are grilled, green tomatoes are sliced, roasted corn is sprinkled about and a balsamic drizzle is poured on top.
All with huge dollops of creamy, fresh ricotta in between.
It’s seriously bliss with every bite.
You could just as easily make this with the adorable round zucchini that appears in markets towards the end of summer as opposed to the regular oblong shaped I’ve used here. They taste the same, their shape is just much cuter!
If you choose to freeze zucchini, you can even make this recipe in the dead of winter and it’ll taste like the fresh, in-season produce of summer.
Grilled Zucchini Stack
Ingredients
- 1 large green zucchini, cut in half and sliced into strips thick enough to hold up on a grill.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 green tomato, sliced
- 1 cup fresh ricotta
- 1/4 cup grilled corn kernels
- balsamic vinegar
- basil
Instructions
- Brush zucchini strips with olive oil and cook on a grill or grill pan for about 3-5 minutes per side (depends on thickness of strips) until they are cooked with grill marks but still retain their form.
- Remove zucchini and set aside.
- Assemble stacks by placing zucchini slice then a tomato slice, then a dollop of ricotta. Repeat 4 or 5 times per stack.
- Sprinkle with roasted corn, drizzle with balsamic and garnish with basil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
LOVE that gif!!!!
The gif looks awesome! And now I am seriously so hungry! Will you come make this for me?
This looks delicious! Ok. Now how did you make a GIF? Nice touch!
I just found this site for it since I don’t have photoshop or any other fancy editing tools: https://picasion.com/ free & super easy!!
I found your blog through Pinch of Yum and I’m so glad I did! Zucchini is my favorite summer veggie and I always have entirely too much of it in my kitchen. This looks like a great way to use it up.
Hi Alisha-thanks for stopping by! I know I’m always trying to come up with ways to use up zucchini, it seems to be everywhere in the summer!
SO pretty! And love your video! It turned out great.
Love the simplicity of this dish. Ricotta can be a tricky cheese that can be quite bland sometimes but paired with balsamic I know it tastes YUMMY!
Gina that video is so darn cool! Great pictures, great recipe… I love it all!
G’day! Love your photo, true!
Love the ease and simplicity, but elegant recipe too!
Cheers! Joanne
How delicious! Love the video :)
I have no access to fresh ricotta, so just looked it up and it looks incredibly easy! I can’t wait to make my own and whip this beauties up too!
Ironically, one of my favorite other bloggers posted a recipe for it yesterday! https://bakerbynature.com/?p=7728 didn’t see it until after this post went up, but it’s perfect timing! I’m going to try making my own too. Easy & cheaper!