Yield: 6 To 8 Servings
What is your favorite summer dish? Mine is this Zucchini Tomato Gratin. It’s super easy to make, delicious, and a fun way to use summer produce. This has layers of tomatoes, herbs, and tons of melted Parmesan cheese. This makes an excellent side dish for poultry, meat, or fish. And this can also be an impressive vegetarian main dish.
INGREDIENTS
3 yellow summer squash – cut into 2-inch pieces
3 medium-sized zucchini squash – cut into 2-inch pieces
1 to 2 Roma or other smallish tomatoes – thinly sliced (or use grape tomatoes)
1 egg, beaten
1 to 2 ounces cheddar, Gruyere, or Swiss cheese, grated, plus 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper – to bring out the flavor, rub together between your hands, plus salt and pepper to taste
How to make Zucchini Tomato Gratin
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees F.
Step 2: To a large saucepan with boiling water, add the zucchini and summer squash pieces. Bring back to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Into a colander, strain the pasta.
Step 3: Into a heat-proof bowl, dump the cooked squash pieces. Using a potato masher, roughly mash the pieces. Make sure not to over-mash as we want to still have large pieces. Into the colander, transfer the mixture to drain the extra liquid.
Step 4: Into a baking dish, mix the squash, herbs, red pepper, salt and pepper, and egg. Top with the slices of tomato, tucking some of the slices under the mixture. Then, place the remaining slices on top.
Step 5: Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes, uncovered. Take the dish out of the oven after 10 minutes and top it with the cheese/s. Resume baking for additional 20 minutes, uncovered. If the cheese is not brown enough at the end of 20 minutes, turn the broiler on and raise the rack. Put the dish under the broiler.
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