Zucchini Parmesan
- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste)
- Salt and pepper
- 18 teaspoon sugar
- 2 sprigs fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 2 to 2 1/4 pounds zucchini
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (pepperoncini), to taste
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- If you have a food mill, quarter tomatoes.
- If not, peel, seed and chop them.
- (See step 5.)
- To make tomato sauce, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add onion.
- Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic.
- Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar and basil sprigs.
- Increase heat to medium-high.
- When tomatoes are bubbling briskly, stir and reduce heat to medium.
- Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down and are beginning to stick to pan, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on consistency.
- Remove basil sprigs; taste and adjust seasoning.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Line 2 sheet pans with parchment.
- Trim ends off zucchini and cut in half crosswise, then into lengthwise slices, about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick.
- Season on both sides with salt and pepper and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Arrange zucchini slices on baking sheets in one layer and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
- Roast for 12 minutes, until lightly browned and easily pierced with a knife.
- Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees.
- If using a food mill, put sauce through medium blade.
- If not, pulse sauce in a food processor fitted with steel blade until just coarsely pureed.
- Stir in chopped basil.
- To assemble the dish, oil a 2-quart gratin with olive oil.
- Spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce over bottom of dish.
- Arrange a third of the zucchini in an even layer over tomato sauce.
- Spoon a third of remaining sauce over zucchini and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Repeat with 2 more layers, ending with 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Drizzle on remaining tablespoon olive oil.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and browned on the top and edges.
- Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
fresh ripe tomatoes, extravirgin olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, sugar, basil, fresh basil, zucchini, salt, extravirgin olive oil, red pepper, freshly grated parmesan
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017523 (may not work)