It’s early morning in the historical centre of Palermo in Sicily and the markets come alive as giant red awnings unfold like sails to protect tables heaving with produce from the already dazzling sunlight. Buckets of foraged asparagus sit alongside bright bunches of wild fennel, battered aluminium pots filled with warm potatoes already cooked to take away, bunches of purple artichokes, teetering mountains of oranges and pomegranates and dozens of locals picking their way through the crowds on their slow journey to reach their favourite stalls. The narrow streets that peel off to the right and left are lined with tiny restaurants who rely on the street traders not just for seasonal produce but also for inspiration for they come into the city every day with their stories and old family recipes. At midday, in the centre of a tiny sun bleached square, a deeply tanned elderly man grills sweet courgettes which he serves on chipped enamel plates alongside a dollop of agrodolce, a sour-sweet sauce which marries Sicilian origins with a strong Arabian influence. The soft sweetness of his smoky courgettes mingled with the punchy flavours of the sauce is something I will always relish so, for those of us without the luxury of a grill in a cute square in Sicily, here is my interpretation of his beautiful lunch.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely sliced
3 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Sea salt flakes
500g courgettes, sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Half tsp Spigol spice mix or a generous pinch of saffron
A couple of handfuls of pine kernels, toasted
A couple of handfuls of golden sultanas
Red wine vinegar
A pinch of red chilli flakes
30g mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped, to serve

For the ricotta:
250g fresh ricotta
1 lemon
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt flakes

How I make  it

Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a generous glug on olive oil, the onions and a pinch of sea salt.

When the onions are soft, add the garlic and stir around until fragrant. 

Add the courgettes, cover and turn down the heat. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally, around 25-30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place the ricotta in a medium bowl. Add the zest of the lemon and half the juice. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir together, cover and refrigerate.

To the courgettes, add the lemon zest and the Spigol (or saffron). Then add the pine kernels, the sultanas, the lemon juice, a splash of vinegar, a drizzle of honey and the chilli flakes. Remove from the heat and set aside to allow all the flavours to mingle.

To serve, stir through the mint. Turn out onto a large bowl with the ricotta on the side.

Serve with lots of freshly baked bread drizzled with olive oil.