Courgettes with pancetta ( #ObosKitchen )

I was inspired a while ago to indulge in cooking, rather than treat it as a chore. Much to my surprise, I've become more and more hooked on it. Those who follow me on twitter will know about ObosKitchen.

Yesterday I cooked something that rocked my world so much, I thought I'd share it on my blog and who knows, it may become a occasional feature. Since it's aimed a blokes or the kitchen-impaired (like me) the kind of food I'll do will be quite simple and much more aimed at taste than looks.

Because I was hungry, I used the following:

1 courgette, sliced into 2", pinkie-thick "chips"
2 small tubs of cubed pancetta (available in the "cold meats" section of most supermarkets - Tesco and Sainsbury's do two small tubs in a blister pack)
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or pressed
A dozen "mozzarella pearls", which Sainsbury sell in their super-cheap "Value" range
A pinch of coarse ground black pepper

You don't need oil or butter because the pancetta produces prodigious amounts of fat.

Warm a pan to a low heat (I turn the gas down as low as I can) and pour in the pancetta. It should start to sizzle and release the fat. As soon as there is "enough" oil in the pan, add the garlic.

Stir occasionally until the pancetta just starts to show odd bits of browning.

It's very important NOT to let the pancetta cook too far before you start adding other ingredients, or it will become very crunchy.

Add in the courgettes and move everything around so that the white inside of the courgette chips is in contact with the pan. It's a bit fiddly, but worth it.

Make sure that the white surfaces of the courgette all get a bit of golden brown on them.

When the courgettes look mostly golden, drain the mozzarella pearls of their water and then add them to the pan. Crank the heat right up and stir for about a minute. as soon as the mozzarella starts to show signs of melting, take the pan off the heat (and turn the stove off!) and throw the whole shebang into a colander to drain off the fat.

Pour it straight out of the colander onto a plate, sprinkle with a pinch of pepper and tuck in. Not very pretty, but it tasted fucking epic!