Try this Summer Vegetable Gratin recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 4 shallots (or 2 small sweet onions ) chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 5-6 roma tomatores or 4-5 vine-ripened tomatoes sliced 3/4†thick
- 2 medium yellow squash cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 1 medium zucchini cut into 1/4 inch slices
- Carbohydrate 3.39327916660053 g
- Cholesterol 11 mg
- Fat 5.85688999999546 g
- Fiber 0.781333346994596 g
- Protein 5.73658416665163 g
- Saturated Fat 2.49069758333207 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (82g)
- Sodium 205.111762152753 mg
- Sugar 2.61194581960593 g
- Trans Fat 0.30257283333171 g
- Calories 86 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 7x11" baking dish with nonstick spray then set aside.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot or onions, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic then saute for 1 more minute. Add fresh basil and thyme then stir to combine. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish then spread into an even layer in the bottom.
- Add sliced zucchini and yellow squash to a large bowl then drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Layer the vegetables in slightly slanted rows until you run out of room or all the vegetables are used up. Season the top with salt and pepper then cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife. Remove foil then sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Return to oven uncovered then bake until cheese is golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Let dish sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Building a successful vegetable gratin within a strict thirty-minute preparation window requires managing high-moisture produce effectively. Tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash release substantial water during baking, which threatens to turn the dish into a stew rather than a cohesive bake. Traditional French gratins often rely on heavy cream or flour to bind excess liquids, but this iteration utilizes high-heat evaporation and precise vegetable preparation instead. Slicing the zucchini and yellow squash to a uniform quarter-inch thickness ensures even cellular breakdown and moisture release. Salting the vegetables before layering draws out unbound water through osmosis. Baking the dish covered for the initial thirty minutes traps steam to soften the squash thoroughly, while removing the foil for the final ten to fifteen minutes allows accumulated surface moisture to vaporize.
- Slice the tomatoes three-quarters of an inch thick to prevent them from dissolving entirely before the squash cooks through.
- Set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to balance cheese browning without scorching the delicate garlic and shallot base.
- Allow the finished gratin to rest for ten minutes off the heat so the internal starches can stabilize and firm the slice structure.
