Tag Archives: cheese

Marry Me Chicken Stuffed Shells

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You feast with your eyes first, and with this dish, it was love at first sight. All the hallmarks of Marry Me Chicken — sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, cream, and Parmesan cheese — are blended with even more cheese, then stuffed into jumbo shells along with Italian seasoning and fresh basil to make this decadent casserole.

Appealing to all ages, this cozy pasta dish can be served as a weeknight dinner, weekend dining with guests, or as an impressive potluck main course. The extra melty mozzarella cheese on top and fresh basil flourish makes this a meal sure to become a favorite.

Aim to cook your shells to al dente; they should be mostly tender but with a bit of firmness to them. You can often see a faint dry, starchy line  in the center of a cross section when you cut into one — that means  they’re ready. Al dente shells will be easier to handle and will bake to tender in the oven.

This is a saucy stuffed shell recipe. The sauce not only provides flavor but ensures the shells and filling remain moist and tender throughout the baking process. That said, if you want some of your shells to be more exposed so they have some toasted, chewier bites to some edges, you could hold back about a cup of the sauce and just serve the extra sauce alongside.

For an extra treat, serve it with some Cheesy French Onion Garlic Bread.

Marry Me Chicken Stuffed Shells

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

  • 24 jumbo pasta shells, from one 12-oz. package
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
  • 1 package goat cheese, (4-oz.) about 1/2 cup
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil, plus more roughly chopped for garnish
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 3/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 package low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, (8-oz.) freshly shredded and divided (about 2 cups)
  • 1 jar julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes in oil, (7-oz,) about 2/3 cup
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 jar marinara sauce, (24-oz.) about 2 1/2 cups
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add shells; cook, stirring often, over high until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain shells, running under cold water to help stop cooking.
  2. Stir together ricotta, chicken, goat cheese, Parmesan, egg, basil, garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and 4 ounces (about 1 cup) of the mozzarella in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.
  3. Reserve 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil from jar; drain and finely chop tomatoes (about 2/3 cup). Heat reserved oil in a medium saucepan over medium until shimmering. Add chopped tomatoes and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add marinara sauce, water, and red pepper; bring to a boil over medium, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, over low until flavors meld and slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
  4. While sauce cooks, place ricotta mixture in a large resealable plastic bag or piping bag; cut a 1-inch hole in corner or tip. Evenly pipe ricotta mixture into cooked shells (about 2 tablespoons each).
  5. Stir cream into sauce until combined. Spread half of sauce over bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange shells, filled side up, over sauce; top with remaining sauce.
  6. Cover dish with aluminum foil; bake in preheated oven until shells are tender, sauce is bubbling and filling is heated through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; uncover and sprinkle evenly with remaining 4 ounces (about 1 cup) mozzarella.
  7. Preheat oven to broil with rack about 7 inches from heat source. Broil until cheese is melted and just lightly browned in spots, about 2 to 4 minutes. Garnish with basil. Serve immediately.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman for Food & Wine

Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

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Need an easy and elegant party snack that can be assembled ahead of time? These sausage stuffed mushrooms caps are filled with Italian sausage, herbs and three kinds of cheese, then baked to golden brown perfection. Perfecto!

The first time we had these was at a house party we hosted. One of our guests was asked to bring an appetizer and she brought these delectable morsels—much to our culinary delight! Now she had made a few substitutions such as the particular cheeses, as did we when we got around to making them for another dinner party shortly thereafter.

One of the goals is to get mushrooms all of the same size, or at least as close as possible. And it is particularly imperative to make sure that the bread topping gets crisp enough. If it does not toward the end of the baking period, give them a shot of intense heat under a broiler for a minute or two.

The lowdown? These sausage stuffed mushrooms start with mushroom caps. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems by popping them out of the mushrooms with your fingers. Next, melt butter in a pan or skillet and cook the onion and garlic. Remove the vegetables and place the sausage in the pan. Cook the meat and break it into small crumbles. Place the onion, garlic, sausage, cream cheese, parmesan cheese and some parsley in a bowl and mix them together. Fill the mushroom caps with the sausage mixture.

In a small bowl mix together panko breadcrumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top, then place the mushrooms in a baking dish or on sheet pan. Bake them until they’re tender and browned. Add a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy!

Don’t want, or care for parsley? Try chives, thyme or green onions instead.

NOTES: You can buy bulk sausage, or simply remove the casings from the sausage before you cook it. Use a medium skillet or a large skillet to give you room to break up the sausage. You can break up the sausage with a the back of a wooden spoon or use a meat masher.

Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

  • Servings: 18 mushrooms
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 18 mushrooms stems removed
  • 3 Tbsp. butter divided use
  • 1/2 cup onion finely diced
  • 1 tsp. garlic minced
  • 8 oz. mild Italian sausage casings removed
  • 4 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley divided use
  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • cooking spray

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and arrange the mushrooms on the pan.
  2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Remove the onion mixture from the pan.
  3. Add the sausage to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, using a spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces.
  4. Place the sausage, onion mixture, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and 3 tablespoons of parsley in a bowl. Stir to combine.
  5. Spoon the sausage mixture evenly into the mushroom caps.
  6. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and stir in the panko breadcrumbs to coat.
  7. Sprinkle the panko over the mushrooms.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are browned and mushrooms are cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Sara Welch for Dinner at the Zoo

Cheesy French Onion Garlic Bread

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Love garlic bread? Well, this cheesy French onion garlic bread is the best of both worlds, combining garlic bread and French onion soup, with none of the hassle. With just a few ingredients and a little help from the grocery store, you’ll have a delicious twist on garlic bread in no time. A great addition to most dinner parties.

Here, I use a packet of onion soup mix and some butter to season the bread. Topping it with gooey mozzarella, Gruyère, fresh thyme, and black pepper achieves that signature French onion soup flavor. The bread crisps up in the oven to become a buttery, cheesy delight. It’s the ideal companion to any pasta dish — or perhaps a great midday snack. No matter what you pair it with, it’s one of the best complements to any meal.

While the original recipe didn’t say to, we found it’s best to let the butter/onion soup mix sit at room temperature so that the dried bits of onion hydrate some.

Make ahead: The butter mixture can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Let sit at room temperature until softened before using.

Storage: Leftover bread can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat in a 350ºF oven until warmed through, about 8 minutes.

Cheesy French Onion Garlic Bread

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For the Butter

  • 9 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1 1-oz. packet of dried onion soup mix, such as Lipton’s
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

For the Bread

  • 1 12-oz. loaf French or Italian bread
  • 4 1/2 oz. low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 4 1/2 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves from about 5 sprigs, plus more for garnish
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Make the butter: Stir and smash room-temperature unsalted butter, mayonnaise, onion soup mix, and minced garlic cloves together with a flexible spatula in a small bowl until combined. Let sit for about 30 minutes to ensure the dried onion bits hydrate.
  2. Assemble the bread: Heat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
  3. Use a serrated knife to split 1 loaf French bread in half. Place cut side up on the baking sheet. Spread the butter mixture evenly onto the bread.
  4. Sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded Gruyère cheese, fresh thyme leaves, and liberally season with black pepper.
  5. Bake, rotating halfway through, until the cheese is melted and the top is browned in spots, about 15 minutes total. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Garnish with more fresh thyme leaves if desired and cut crosswise into pieces.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Janette Zepeda for The Kitchn.com

Chicken Gratin

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This decadent, company-worthy casserole, features tender chicken thighs and melted turnips and leeks bathed in a creamy gratin sauce reminiscent of fondue and topped with garlicky breadcrumbs. Sherry and Cognac join forces to cut through the richness of the gratin while adding a touch of nuttiness.

Allow the flavorful browned bits to build in the skillet as the chicken sears — these golden nuggets are key to building the foundation of the cheese-laden sauce. (If necessary, brown the chicken pieces in two batches so that they brown instead of steam.)

For a more funky and pungent flavor, try Gruyère cheese. For a more mild, buttery, and nutty flavor, opt for aged Gouda. The topping of breadcrumbs helps to provide a pleasantly crunchy contrast to the soft, creamy chicken gratin. Tossing the breadcrumbs with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper before baking infuses them with extra flavor.

A few things we did differently was incorporate 3 leeks instead of two, use a bit more cheese, and mixed in the cheese with the breadcrumb mixture (that was actually a mistake, but we liked the result!).

We served ours with a Herbed Barley Pilaf. But upon consideration, it was a rather heavy side dish for the gratin, so a green vegetable or side salad might be a better match.

Chicken Gratin

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: moderately easy
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Ingredients

  • 8 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 lbs.)
  • 1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 1/4 tsp. black pepper, divided
  • 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 medium (about 12-oz.) leeks, thoroughly washed, light green and white parts of leeks cut in half lengthwise, and sliced diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 5 garlic cloves, 4 finely chopped and 1 grated
  • 1 1/4 pounds turnips (about 3 medium turnips), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock 
  • 3 Tbsp. (1 1/2 oz.) Cognac
  • 2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) dry sherry
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme, plus thyme sprigs for garnish
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 5 oz. Gruyère or aged Gouda cheese, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (from 1 small French bread loaf)

Directions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium until foamy. Working in batches, if needed, cook chicken, undisturbed, until well browned, about 10 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to prevent browned bits in skillet from burning. Flip chicken; cook until no longer pink on the outside, about 1 minute. (You may to do this in two batches.) Transfer chicken to a plate, and set aside. Remove skillet from heat; do not wipe clean. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Increase heat to medium-high under skillet. Add turnips, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until turnip edges are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer turnips to a large (2 1/2- to 3-quart) baking dish; set aside. Reduce heat to medium.
  3. Add leeks to the skillet and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer the leeks to the baking dish with turnips. Do not wipe the skillet clean.
  4. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and melt over medium. Add finely chopped garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in chicken stock, Cognac, and sherry. Bring to a simmer over medium, and stir using a wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in cream, mustard, chopped thyme, and nutmeg; simmer over medium, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with additional salt to taste.
  5. Arrange chicken thighs over turnip-and-leek mixture in the baking dish. Pour sauce evenly over the mixture; sprinkle with cheese.
  6. Place the grated garlic clove in a medium bowl. Stir in oil. Add breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle evenly over chicken mixture.
  7. Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, until breadcrumbs turn dark amber brown, sauce bubbles in the center, and a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of chicken registers at least 165°F, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool 5 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve.

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Adapted from a recipe by Amy Thielen for Food & Wine

Scalloped Potatoes with Horseradish and Gruyere

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Scalloped potatoes are a tried-and-true side dish. There’s no reason to reinvent a classic, but adding a kick, a rather strong kick, can be a fun twist. The piquant horseradish in this recipe does exactly that. It cuts through the double richness of the cream and cheese and makes you crave another serving.

Swapping a single variety of potato for three — purple, sweet and russet — adds more texture and flavor. Purple potatoes (see Tip) pop on the plate and offer that earthy flavor but with a less starchy texture, and the sweet potatoes are meltingly tender. Give this festive, upgraded version of scalloped potatoes a try at your next gathering.

Intended for just the two of us, we cut the recipe me half. It was still enough for six decent-sized portions.

TIP: Go with whatever variety and size of purple potatoes are available. If using ones with thin skins, you can go ahead and skip peeling.

Scalloped Potatoes with Horseradish and Gruyere

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. russet potatoes (about 2 medium)
  • 1 lb. purple potatoes (see Tip)
  • 1 lb. sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 5 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups half-and-half
  • ½ cup prepared horseradish
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar or Gruyère

Directions

  1. Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat to 400 degrees. Peel all the potatoes (see Tip) and cut into ⅛-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife or mandoline.
  2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until just golden, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until a paste forms, then continue stirring to cook the flour until bubbling, 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Slowly pour in 1½ cups of the half-the-half and whisk until combined. Whisk in remaining half-and-half, the horseradish and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer while whisking constantly, then turn off heat and let steep for about 5 minutes.
  3. Ladle 1 cup of the horseradish cream sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spreading to fully coat the bottom of the dish. Add half the sliced potatoes in an even layer; have fun mixing the colors. Sprinkle half the cheese on top and pour over another cup of the sauce, making sure the sauce is fully covering the cheese and potatoes. Add the remaining sliced potatoes, and top with remaining sauce and cheese.
  4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until potatoes are almost fully tender and sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the edges are slightly crisp and the cheese is golden brown in spots, about 10 minutes more. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

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Recipe by Vivian Chan-Tam for NYTimes Cooking

Cheesy Pork and Tomatillo Skillet

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Trust me on this one, if you’re gonna cheat, this is the babe you should be doing it with! Calories aside, it’s worth cutting back earlier in the day to imbibe in this decadent cheesy concoction.

If you are looking for a reason to make a meaty, cheesy, saucy skillet dip for dinner, look no further. Great when eaten with tortilla chips but just as great scooped into a bowl and devoured with a spoon, this one-pan dish comes together in around 45 minutes. Serve up to four as a main course, or just let your guests have at it as an appetizer.

Bright and acidic tomatillos are the star here; often sold in their papery husks, this tart fruit softens and gets sweeter as it cooks, adding freshness to the otherwise rich and oozy skillet (thank you, melty pepper Jack cheese).

Pork is a natural friend to green chiles and cumin, but feel free to use any ground meat—or meat substitute—you have on hand. If the contents of this skillet doesn’t disappear in the first go around, thank your lucky stars there will be leftovers.

Cheesy Pork and Tomatillo Skillet

  • Servings: 4-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 large poblano chile, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
  • 3 medium tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, coarsely chopped
  • 2 4-oz. cans diced green chiles
  • 8 oz. pepper Jack cheese, coarsely grated
  • Cilantro leaves with tender stems and tortilla chips (for serving)

Directions

  1. Place 1 lb. ground pork in a medium bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. ground cumin, and 1 tsp. smoked paprika. Using your hands, gently mix to incorporate.
  2. Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook pork mixture, undisturbed, until browned and beginning to crisp underneath, about 3 minutes. Break up meat into ½” pieces with a wooden spoon and continue to cook, stirring often, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving fat behind; set aside.
  3. Add 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, and 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, to same skillet; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is slightly softened and garlic is starting to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Add 1 large poblano chile, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced, and 3 medium tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, coarsely chopped; cook, stirring occasionally, until poblano is golden in spots, about 1 minute. Add two 4-oz. cans diced green chiles and 1 cup water and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until almost all liquid is evaporated and tomatillos are mostly softened, 7–9 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. Heat broiler. Add reserved pork mixture to skillet and stir to combine. Top evenly with 8 oz. pepper Jack cheese, coarsely grated. Broil until cheese is melted and starting to blister in spots, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.
  5. Top with cilantro leaves with tender stems. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Recipe by Kendra Vaculan for Bon Appétit

Breakfast Casserole

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What a wonderful breakfast/brunch item that will please up to 8 people. I got the recipe from a friend, who got it from her friend, who got it from who knows who? Doesn’t really matter the source, the thing is, you can customize it to suit your own preferences. For instance, if you are following a keto-friendly diet, skip the hash browns, but you might want to increase some of the other ingredients that go into the eggs. Instead of 1/4 cup of chopped onion, The Hubs added 3/4 cup of minced shallot.

You can even assemble it the day before, just cover the uncooked dish with foil and refrigerate overnight, then bake it in the oven until cooked, about 45 minutes. Which was EGGSactly what we did, so the morning of the feast, we were basically prep-free!

Store any remaining casserole in tightly wrapped foil, and store in refrigerator for up yo 3 days.

Breakfast Casserole

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 20 oz. shredded hash browns, thawed
  • 1 lb. sausage cooked, crumbled and drained
  • 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
  • 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk OR 1 1/3 cups milk
  • 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains. Drain the fat.
  4. In the prepared dish, add hash browns, sausage, onion, bell pepper, and a 1/2 cup cheese. Gently mix and spread evenly.
  5. In a large bowl, add eggs, evaporated milk, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning. Whisk until combined.
  6. Pour the egg mixture over the pan ingredients, and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
  7. Cover dish with foil, and refrigerate overnight, or bake immediately, uncovered for 45-55 minutes until cooked through.

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Zucchini Parmesan

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By mid- to late-summer, many home gardeners (or farm stands) will have ample tomatoes and zucchini, so this tasty recipe will assist in using up some of that seasonal bounty. It’s a wonderful meatless dish that can be served as a side or as an entrée with a side salad.

The original recipe by Martha Shulman looked very appetizing, however, we felt a number of alterations could improve the outcome. Roasting, rather than frying the zucchini, allows you to cut down on olive oil and time. With small zucchini under 8 inches long, there is no need to cut them in half crosswise; simply slice them into 1/4″ strips using a mandoline if you have one.

Two sheet pans are oiled with Pam Olive Oil spray instead of lining them with parchment (which many reviewers claimed left the zucchini too watery). After roasting the zucchini, layer the cooled planks between paper towels, and refrigerate until ready to assemble. This helps eliminate any extra moisture. Do this step the day before or that morning, which will save time when you are ready to prep.

Of course, while using fresh tomatoes is preferred, another time saver is to use canned whole tomatoes instead. Crush them with your hands, then follow the directions for making the sauce. For a heftier meal, amp up the dish with 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella, sprinkling between each set of layers with some on top. A small amount of sugar (1⁄8 tsp.) was in the recipe, but we did not include any.

It will serve 4-6 as an entrée, or 8-10 as a side. Fabulous as leftovers too… eaten at room temperature, or reheated.

Zucchini Parmesan

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce

  • 2 to 2½ lbs. fresh ripe tomatoes; OR 2, 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes, hand crushed
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves (more or less to taste), roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, divided

For the Zucchini Parmesan

  • 2 to 2¼ lbs. zucchini
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • ½ to 1 tsp. red pepper flakes, to taste
  • ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 8 oz. shredded mozzarella

Directions

  1. If you have a food mill, quarter tomatoes. If not, peel, seed and chop them. OR, use canned whole tomatoes and drain the juices saving for another purpose. Crush tomatoes with hands.
  2. 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.
  3. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of chopped basil. 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. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  4. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 2 sheet pans with olive oil. Trim ends off zucchini and cut in half crosswise if larger than 8 inches long, then cut into lengthwise slices, about ¼ to ⅓ inch thick (a mandoline comes in handy for this step).
  5. 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.
  6. 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 puréed. (Or use an immersion blender.) Stir in remaining chopped basil.
  7. To assemble the dish, oil a 2-quart gratin pan with olive oil. Spread ¼ 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, sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan, and add 1⁄3 of mozzarella. Repeat with 2 more layers, ending with ¼ cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Drizzle on remaining tablespoon olive oil.
  8. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and browned on the top and edges. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

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Loosely adapted from a recipe by Martha Shulman for NYTimes Cooking