Who needs potatoes when you have squash and zucchini to bake with onions and cheese.
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 6–8
1 cup olive oil plus more for greasing pan
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch strips
5 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 small zucchinis cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
2 small squashes cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
2 large plum tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
½–1 cup grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan)
Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with olive oil.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the onion-pepper mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the zucchini, squash, 4 tablespoons oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to coat evenly. Arrange the zucchini, squash and tomato slices on the onion-pepper mixture, overlapping the rows. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and bake for 40–45 minutes. (If you have squash and zucchini left over, refrigerate in a plastic bag and saute with sliced onions for another meal.) Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese and thyme on top. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
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Chef’s tips
Drain after grating. Zucchini tends to have a lot of excess moisture. Therefore, after grating zucchini, place it in a colander and allow it to drain before adding it to your recipes. Alternately, after grating, you can place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess moisture.
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