Tomato & Zucchini Gratin

Tomatta season is here! Looking to celebrate?

This recipe was inspired by a dish I found via Bon Appétit online, which originally called for tomatoes and summer squash (see original recipe here.) Sadly, my grocer was out of squash, and my dreams were briefly... squashed. But then I supplemented a yellow & green zucchini mix, and it worked out great. Feel free to stick to the original recipe or try out my version below.

Tomato & Zucchini Gratin

Ingredients:
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used shaved parm because I like how crispy it gets)
2 beefsteak tomatoes

1 green and 1 yellow zucchini, thinly sliced1 clove garlic, diced
4 tbs olive oil (total)
1/2 tsp oregano
4-5 fresh basil leaves
salt & pepper

Toss the Italian cheese and breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with a dash of salt, pepper, and the oregano. Heat the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced garlic and heat through until fragrant. Add the tomato and cook, tossing occasionally, until heated through and juicy (about 3-4 minutes). Season with salt, pepper, and the basil (chopped up) and transfer to a baking dish. Top with the zucchini slices and the breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until the veggies are tender and the top is golden brown -- I baked mine for about 25 minutes. This would be a great main course or side dish.

A note: If you have an ovenproof pan/skillet, you are lucky and I am jealous. You can cook the tomatoes in the skillet, top them with the zucchini & breadcrumbs and transfer the dish straight to the oven. One pan -- super easy & hardly any clean-up. Like I said, I'm jealous.

Another note: To be honest, with the breadcrumbs, I feel like less could have been more on this dish. I followed the recipe and found my dish way too covered in breadcrumbs. It didn't destroy the taste (it was still really good!), but it did leave me with some valuable advice for you, my friend: take heed with the breadcrumbs. But do not skimp on the cheese.

Enjoy the season!

Love,
Amy