Zucchini, Squash, and Tomato Gratin

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    I was excited when the theme for my cooking boards recipe swap was vegetarian this week.  I try to cook vegetarian 2-3 days a week but many times we end up having a pasta dish or tofu so I’m always searching for new main dishes.  I ended up with Zucchini-Tomato Gratin from Life and Kitchen.

    I was lucky that I just bought a block of Parmesan cheese and a block of Pecorino Romano at Giant Eagle Market District last weekend so I already had the cheeses on hand.  Because I am not a huge fan of tomatoes I only used one in this recipe and then added a yellow squash.  I like how simple this meal is.  It’s basically just the sauteed vegetables, garlic, and cheese.

     The flavors blend together in the oven and they make for a terrific dish.  The garlic seeps into the vegetables and the saltiness from the cheese finishes off the dish.  I served it with crusty bread and an olive oil dipping sauce.  My husband really enjoyed it as well and thought it would be even better served over top of pasta so I may try that next time.  Either way, we both certainly enjoyed this dish and it was much different from our normal vegetarian main dishes.

Zucchini, Squash, and Tomato Gratin (adapted from Life and Kitchen)

1 large tomato, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch-thick diagonal slices
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
1/2 medium onion
2 Tbsp. olive oils, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼  c. chopped parsley

 ¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
¼ c. Pecorino Romano cheese
1.  Slice the tomatoes and place in a colander.  Sprinkle them with salt.  
2. Spread the zucchini on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Let stand for 30 minutes to sweat out excess moisture. Pat dry with paper towels.

3.  Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Dice the onion and saute for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and place in a bowl.

4.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

5.  Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in the same pan you just cooked the onions it.  Saute the zucchini and squash over medium high heat for 3-5 minute or until just starting to brown.  Do this in batches if needed. 

6.  In an 8 x 8 baking dish layer half the zucchini on the bottom.  Layer with half the squash, half the tomatoes, and half the onions.  Sprinkle with half of the garlic cloves, half of the parsley, and half of the cheeses.  Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper.

7.  Layer the remaining zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and onions.  Sprinkle with remaining garlic, parsley, and cheeses.  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

8.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the gratin is bubbling.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

This post linked to:
Foodie Fridays, Foodie Fridays 2, Shine on Friday,

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