But we didn’t want to forego a homemade tomato sauce or bubbling layers of cheese. So we cut thick slices of summer squash to be broiled until softened. Our ten-minute tomato sauce was the perfect tangy base for nestling zucchinis. And of course there’s still plenty of melted mozzarella to swirl around your fork, and a golden crisp topping of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. We promise you’ll be making this crowd-pleasing dish for your next potluck. Cook, relax and enjoy!
What you’ll need:
1 beefsteak tomato
1 clove garlic
fresh thyme sprig
2 lb zucchini
8 oz fresh mozzarella
0.5 oz Parmesan cheese
0.5 oz fresh basil sprigs
½ cup panko
olive oil
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
Equipment:
small saucepan
box grater
baking dish
rimmed baking sheet
Recipe steps:
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Make tomato sauce
Grate tomato on the large holes of a box grater directly into a small saucepan. Grate garlic on small holes over saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon oil, thyme sprig, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
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Broil zucchini
Meanwhile, preheat broiler with rack 4 inches from heat source. Slice stem ends off of zucchini then cut lengthwise into ¼- ½ inch slices. Place on 1-2 baking sheets and drizzle both sides of slices with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Broil until softened and browned. Turn over slices individually as they brown until both sides are well browned, 10-15 minutes. Turn oven to 400°F.
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Prep ingredients
Slice mozzarella into very thin pieces. Grate Parmesan cheese. Remove basil leaves from stems and tear larger leaves into smaller pieces.
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Layer stacks
Place ⅓ of the zucchini in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with ½ of the sauce then half of the mozzarella and basil. Continue layering a second time then finish with a layer of zucchini.
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Make topping
Combine Parmesan and panko and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the top. Bake until bubbling and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes for a darker top.
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Let rest
Let dish rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
