An average marrow is not a small vegetable and can put people off using it…other than in soup maybe. So I devised this easy sharing dish and it really works. It’s up to you what you serve it with – penne pasta, perhaps – but we ate it with fresh warm crusty bread and some good red wine. I filled this one with my Ratatouille with Black Garlic but go with what you have or want – it’s a very simple idea, but the roasted marrow adds a really nice fresh and, more importantly, tasty vehicle to your choice. The recipe is probably best for four diners as each marrow half will serve two sharing; otherwise, the other half can be used for soup the next day, of course.
Serves 4
Ratatouille with Black Garlic (page 206)
1 marrow
basil-infused rapeseed oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
20g (approximately ¼ cup) toasted pine nuts
handful of basil leaves, shredded
* Make the ratatouille.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Carefully cut the marrow lengthways into equal halves. Remove all seeds from the middle. Rub the half you are using with basil oil, particularly on the inside flesh. Season with sea salt and black pepper and roast on a baking tray for 20–30 minutes until just beginning to colour and the flesh is tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from the oven and place on a sharing plate. Fill with hot ratatouille and top with toasted pine nuts and shredded basil leaves before finishing with a last drizzle of the basil oil.