Garlic-Parm Courgette Sauté

Most days, we don’t have time to make an elaborate side dish, and something simple is all we crave. This easy, quick-sautéed courgette is the perfect side dish for those nights. It’s full of flavour, and the courgette slightly caramelises as it cooks in the cast-iron pan. It’s our favourite way to use up courgette (beside Courgette Chocolate Cookies, of course) and you can catch us eating it as our lunch almost weekly.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 large courgette, cut into rounds
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of crushed chilli flakes
25 g freshly grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS
In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add courgette and oregano. Cook until courgette is tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch chilli flakes.
Top with Parmesan and serve warm.

Oregano is best added at the end of cooking to emphasize its natural flavor. If you use dried oregano, squeeze it lightly to release its essential oils and aromas. Use oregano to make marinades, as it goes well with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil and parsley. We also recommend adding oregano to salted fish, which will achieve a special Mediterranean taste. Very often, marjoram and oregano are mixed. You can best distinguish them by the fact that marjoram has a sweet, floral aroma and a sweet-bitter taste, and oregano has a more intense aroma.