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A simple recipe for Tomato Zucchini Gratin with breadcrumbs, garlic parmesan and fresh basil. A quick and easy vegetarian side dish that cozy and warming.
Tomato Zucchini Gratin is all about honoring fresh garden abundance.
It is hard to beat the perfection of tomatoes, garlic and basil. So simple to throw together and a complimentary side dish for many meals.
What is a gratin?
A gratin is basically a baked dish topped with seasoned breadcrumbs and cheese. This Tomato Zucchini Gratin is an elegant and simple way to honor end-of-summer garden tomatoes and to use up more of the ever-abundant zucchini.
Garlic, shallots and herbs elevate the savory flavors while the breadcrumbs add a crunchy texture.
Hand tearing bread makes it craggy- giving the olive oil, herbs and cheese more to hang on to, but a quick pulse in the food processor will yield sufficient results as well.
Toast the bread crumbs for 3-5 minutes.
And of course, you can use left-over sourdough bread for the breadcrumbs!
Toss the hand-torn bread crumbs with olive oil, parmesan and herbs. We highly recommend the sharp tangy Parmigiano Reggiano but of course, many other kinds of cheese will work just as beautifully.
Layer the zucchini and tomato slices in a baking pan and top with the seasoned bread crumbs and place in a 400 oven for about 20 minutes.
The tomatoes are quickly cooked in the oven heightening their succulent flavor, yet not breaking down their structure too much.
The vegetarian gratin makes a perfect vegetable side dish for dinner, pairing nicely with most grilled or roasted fish and meat. The tomato gratin is also a beautiful addition to brunch with poached eggs or to serve with steamed greens and wild rice for lunch or a light dinner.
Have a great weekend!
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Tomato Zucchini Gratin
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple recipe for Tomato Zucchini Gratin with breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic and fresh basil. A quick and easy vegetarian side dish!
Ingredients
- 3 slices (3 oz) bread
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped fine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 1/2 oz (3/4 cup) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 2 lbs tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick (4-5 medium tomatoes)
- 1 lb zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick ( 2 medium zucchini)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon shallot, diced
- 1/2 cup fresh Basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Hand tear bread to form coarse crumbs (or quickly pulse in food processor). Place on a sheet pan and bake at 400 degrees for 3-5 minutes, until dried out.
- Toss toasted bread, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parmesan together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Alternate tomato and zucchini slices in a shallow baking pan.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Whisk together remaining olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic and shallot. Pour over tomatoes and squash.
- Top evenly with bread crumb mixture.
- Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until bread crumbs are toasty.
- Tear basil leaves on top and serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 181
- Sugar: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 390.1 mg
- Fat: 11.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.9 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 6.1 mg
Keywords: tomato gratin, zucchini gratin, gratin recipe, tomato zucchini gratin, how to make a gratin
Absolutely loved this recipe. So simple but so flavoursome and juicy. I found that the the different textures of the soft roasted veg and the crunchy cheesy bread crumbs elevate the dish, creating a very interesting experience. I had it with smoked mackerel for dinner and definately plan to cook it again. Thanks for yet another great recipe!
★★★★★
So happy you enjoyed Maria!
We loved this…a couple of comments. First, it took much longer to bake than recipe stated. Bread crumbs browned well before veggies were cooked, so I lightly covered with foil and left it in for almost another 20 minutes. Still the zucchini was partially crispy- not soggy at all. Also, I used panko bread crumbs- so much easier than making your own and they are so light and crispy. A great recipe- especially for August-September when zucchini can be plentiful and tomatoes at their best!!
★★★★
Thanks for your feedback Cindy. Was your zucchini sliced thin? Also sometimes if the squash is a little older, or on the larger size, it can take longer to cook as there is not as much moisture. Glad you made it work though!
Can this be made ahead and reheated? I need a side dish to feed 14 for a family dinner. I plan to 2.5 of this recipe the day before. Can I just cover and reheat it before dinner the next day? Also do you think it will all fit in 2 9×13 baking pans?
Thanks for your input.
BTW – Long time reader; first time commenter. I LOVE your blog. I usually make at least one recipe a week. They’re always awesome!
I have not tried this Annie but it should be ok. I think it will just be extra juicy, which may just be delicious if you have extra bread to sop it up. Seems like it would fit in 2 9×13’s- guessing about that.
Awesome. Thank you Tonia! I’ll let you know how it goes. Also serving the blistered tomato & saffron risotto.
Yum!:)
Well I made both the Blistered Tomato Saffron Risotto and the Tomato Zucchini Gratin the day of the family dinner party (right before serving in fact) and they were both delicious! My Italian father in law had 3 servings of the Risotto! There were plenty of leftovers. We reheated the Gratin and it re-crisped the torn bread topping beautifully. It was not extra saucy. Next time I’ll make it the day before and re-warm prior to serving.
Thanks for the lovely recipes!
So glad everything worked out Annie! Thanks for letting us know. 🙂
Having recently spring cleaned both pantry and fridge, I took all sorts of liberties with the recipe (using leftover stuffing cubes from Thanksgiving 2022 for the bread crumbs, subbing mozzarella for parm, cherry tomatoes for summer tomatoes, etc. The only note I introduced was to sub the leftover oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes I had hanging in my fridge for some of the olive oil. Husband actually volunteered a compliment at dinner – “this is really good.” Surprised my shoes off – he is not a huge fan of summer squashes for textural reasons. Wildly adaptable template. Thank you! (I did use fresh basil)
Awesome to hear!!!
Really enjoyed this Sylvia very tasty.
★★★★★
Great to hear Avril!
I just made it and I am truly loving it.
Great to hear!
We’re out of red wine vinegar, unfortunately. Is it okay to use balsamic instead?
I bet that will be yummy!
The flavors and textures of this dish are lovely. It has gotten rave reviews. I’ve made it twice so far, and have found that the zucchini cooks better if sliced thinner than 1/4 inch and when cooked for 25 minutes.
★★★★★
Ok good to know- thanks for pinting this out!
Made it using halved cherry Tomatoes. Super popular, great dish
★★★★★
Cherry tomatoes, yum!!
This dish was amazing. Everyone raved about how good it was. Only had a single helping leftover. The next day I added some cheddar cheese and it was gone.
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed this one Marilyn!
You didn’t add squash to the ingredients list. ;-; I didn’t get the squash ;-; I don’t have squash in my meal ;-; oof. No worries next time I’ll just add a mental note also how much squash would I need
Hi Jessica- the zucchini is the squash here. 😉
This turned out so good! A keeper. Thanks Tonia!
★★★★★
so glad you liked it!
This was packed with flavor! I loved it!
★★★★★
wonderful, thanks Sheryl!