Zucchini Wreath

Preparation:

Preparation: Trim the courgettes and cut them into 1/2 cm thick slices. Brown the pancetta for a minute in a non-stick pan without adding any other seasoning. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan with the crushed garlic cloves and thyme sprigs. Then add the courgettes, salt and pepper and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring very gently from time to time. At the end of cooking, remove the garlic and thyme and any excess water. Then dip the courgettes in the eggs, beaten with salt and pepper, and line a well-oiled donut mold with part of them, overlapping them slightly. Spread half of the coarsely grated cheese on top, then the bacon cubes and then the rest of the cheese. Complete with the remaining zucchini and egg mixture and cook in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the accompanying sauce. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for one minute, then peel them, remove the seeds and pass them through a blender. Add salt and pepper, add the crushed garlic clove (if you prefer a more decisive taste you can blend the garlic with the tomatoes), then transfer the proceeds into a saucepan and heat it in a bain-marie. At the end of cooking, let the preparation rest for 4-5 minutes at room temperature, then turn it out of the mold onto a serving plate and serve it with the prepared sauce, without the garlic and scented with the chopped chives.