This twist on a parmesan casserole takes advantage of your harvest but doesn't leave you hovering over a hot stove. Let your oven do the work for this no breading, no fry, and sauce-free recipe. Broil your squash; prepare the tomatoes, basil, and cheese while you wait. Assemble the casserole and bake!
ingredients
- 2 1/2 Pounds Zucchini or Summer Squash, thickly sliced (about 1/4"-1/2" thick)
- 1 Pound (about 3 medium) Fresh Tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 oz Fresh Basil leaves
- 8 oz Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
- .5 oz Parmesan or Romano Cheese, grated
- Olive Oil for brushing
- Salt & Pepper for sprinkling
deviations & tips
- Swap eggplant for the squash.
- Try adding bell or banana peppers!
- I used an 8 x 11 casserole dish, but a 9 x 9 or 9" round would work too. An 8 x 8 could work too if it's deep enough to hold all the ingredients.
- Serve with rice pilaf or salad if desired.
the method
Set oven to high broil.
Cut your squash into pieces that are about a 1/4" to 1/2" thick; I used my food processor's 8 mm disk to cut mine. Lay the slices, in a single layer, on 2 ungreased baking sheets. Place a paper towel on top and gently press to expel some excess moisture. Brush olive oil on both sides of each slice, but only sprinkle salt and pepper on one side.
Press to remove moisture.
Season only 1 side with salt and pepper.
Place cookie sheets under broiler, on upper rack. Note: If both cookie sheets do not fit on same rack, you must broil each sheet of squash separately. Broil for about 6-9 minutes or until squash starts to get golden brown. Turn each slice over and broil for another 6-9 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Broil until golden.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brush baking dish lightly with olive oil. Layer half of the squash on the bottom, then half the basil leaves, half the tomatoes, half the garlic slices, and half the cheeses. It's ok if your ingredients are overlapping; this dish is very forgiving. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients.
Ingredients can overlap.
Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly to your liking. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve a top rice pilaf or along salad if desired.
Bake until brown and bubbly.
Yellow Zucchini Parmesan