READY IN 1 hr

Zucchini e Pomodori Gratinati (Zucchini and Tomato Gratin)

Read Reviews (72)

"A quick and easy vegetarian dish for two, or a starter for 4, or even a side. A rustic Italian favorite, taught me by my Roman friends. If serving as a main, then crusty bread, torn off the loaf by hand, and a green salad with a lemon and/or lime vinaigrettey dressing cannot be bettered. " — Swiss Phil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Move oven rack into the top third of the oven.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and spread the zucchini slices into the skillet in a single layer. If they don't fit, cook them in batches. Sprinkle pieces of garlic over the zucchini, and cook until the zucchini are golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
Arrange the slices of zucchini in an 9x12-inch glass baking dish, alternating with slices of mozzarella cheese and tomato, so that the slices overlap each other in a neat row pattern. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and basil over the dish, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and brown and the dish is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 45 mins
READY IN 1 hr

Footnotes

Cook's Note
If you wish to take a bit extra time, put the freshly sliced zucchini in a colander in layers, salting each layer as you go. Then place a suitably sized plate (or equivalent) on the top and weigh it down (scale weights are good for this -- although I have used big liter bottles of water before now and/or bags of sugar!). After 30 or so minutes, a surprising amount of water will have been drawn out. You can then dry the slices thoroughly with a clean cloth, or paper kitchen towel (careful not to leave paper behind!) and then they're ready for cooking.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Nov 29, 2010

very good stuff! after a trial run prior to bird day, i made a couple small changes. i fried about 6 pieces of bacon, fried some onion and the garlic in the butter and some bacon grease then proceeded with the recipe. i'll add more bacon next time. i crumbled the bacon and covered with the cheeses. big hit!

—gderr the dysfunctional

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 22, 2010

This was good and tasty. Not enough to the recipe torate more stars but very easy and I would make again.

—cook from sc

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84 Ratings

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Aug 19, 2010

Loved this! Great use of summer staples. I thought I had mozzarella in the fridge but it turns out it was muenster - so I used it anyway. It was great. I did half of the topping as directed, but on half I mixed in a couple of Tablespoons of Italian seasoned bread crumbs with the Parmesan. Very yummy - thanks for the great recipe!

—Dutchgirl

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Aug 17, 2010

Really yummy. I actually only used 2 zucchini's thinly sliced and sauted/browned in EVOO. I did two layers - zucchini/garlic, 2 oz mozz, tomato, zucchini, 2 oz mozz, basil, tom and then topped with a cup of grated Parm. Light and yummy. I calculated about 310 calories per serving, but that is because I needed more oil since doing zucchini in batches.

—lzhuber

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Aug 17, 2010

One of my favorite recipes already! I used all fresh quality ingredients, minus the tomatos the first time because mine had gone bad. You can bet I am going to make this again soon with the tomatos and over and over again. I am looking forward to bringing this as a dish to the next party we are invited to.

—House of Aqua

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Sep 12, 2010

I made this now two times. The first time I did half the recipe and had to cook the zucchini in 3 batches. I cooked on medium but, I still had to rinse the pan with some hot water in between batches to avoid scorched garlic. I also don't usually have fresh basil, so I subtituted dry basil. My bottle said 1 Tablespoon of fresh = 1 teaspoon of dry. I figured it did not matter because it was going to be baked anyway in this recipe. I ate the gratin with a ribeye steak that day. It takes a little time, but it did make an elegant meal. The second time I tried another quicker version. I roasted the first 3 ingredients in the oven first. After about 20 minutes, or when the zucchini was very lightly browned, I removed from the oven and added the rest of the ingredients and then baked the additonal amount of time. It did not display as well as the original recipe, but equally as tasty! Interesting recipe, thanks for submitting Phil.

—Blender Woman

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Aug 30, 2010

DH and I really enjoyed this. Although I love zucchini, in many recipes the mild flavor gets lost or covered by stronger flavors. That is not the case here. The zucchini is just as much of a star as the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. I also love that the ingredients are those that I usually have on hand. Very easy to prepare, pretty presentation and delicious. I followed the recipe with the exception of adding approx. 1/4 cup of italian bread crumbs to the cheese/basil topping. I will happily prepare this often. Thanks for sharing!

—abapplez

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Oct 01, 2010

This is really good and very simple to make AND if you are like me and have gazillions of tomato's and zucchini from your garden... well... give it a try. I add a ton more basil than they call for (literally a ton more!). And before baking it I sprinkle it with bread crumbs so it gets nice and crusty on top... OH... and I add some capers as well. Works really nicely with feta cheese if you are feta cheese lover. I sprinkle the feta on top of the zucchini and tomatoes and basil than cover the whole thing in a layer of Moz cheese. Serve with good homemade bread and you won't hear complaints.

—msmaggie007

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Nutrition

Calories
412 kcal
21%

Carbohydrates
24.9 g
8%

Cholesterol
43 mg
14%

Fat
26.4 g
41%

Fiber
7 g
28%

Protein
23.8 g
48%

Sodium
757 mg
30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Zucchini e Pomodori Gratinati (Zucchini and Tomato Gratin)

Serving Size: 1/2 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 412
Calories from Fat: 238

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26.4g 41 %
Saturated Fat 9.5g 48 %
Cholesterol 43mg 14 %
Sodium 757mg 30 %
Potassium 1552mg 43 %
Total Carbohydrates 24.9g 8 %
Dietary Fiber 7g 28 %
Protein 23.8g 48 %
** Sugars 14.3g
Vitamin A 78 %
Vitamin C 146 %
Calcium 81 %
Iron 22 %
Thiamin 40 %
Niacin 61 %
Vitamin B6 56 %
Magnesium 36 %
Folate 72 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.