Zucchini Gratin: Finding Ways to Use All That Zucchini

People really want zucchini recipes right now, and I'm glad to give them one. In the summer, we're all thinking of ways to use up zucchini but not keep making the same old boring zucchini bread over and over. So here are some ideas to help you consume all that zucchini.

If any of you have read the wonderful book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, you know how she writes about finding ways to use their out of control zucchini from their garden. She and her daughter provided some great recipes, including one for really good zucchini chocolate chip cookies and a great zucchini orzo. If you don't have the book, you can find those recipes here on their website.

And over at Spinach Tiger, Angela has posted a delicious looking zucchini chocolate cake that I may have to make soon. And that young food whiz, Tony Tahhan, shows how to make a gorgeous zucchini and goat cheese pizza.

Now, don't you feel better about all that zucchini in your garden?

As for this recipe, I think you'll love the addition of the pancetta to the zucchini, which gives it a nice salty kick. Try making your own bread crumbs and using fresh rosemary. It really makes a difference.

Zucchini Gratin

for a printable recipe, click here

1 large sweet onion, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
kosher or coarse sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper
2-3 medium zucchini
10 slices pancetta
1/3 cup bread crumbs *
2 large springs rosemary, minced
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and slice them lengthwise, about 1/4 of an inch thick until you have 10 slices. Set aside.

In a skillet, saute the sliced onions with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and large pinch of salt until soft. Add garlic and black pepper and saute for a couple of minutes. Place the onions in an oven-proof dish.

Season the zucchini slices with some salt and pepper. Top each one with a slice of pancetta. Layer the zucchini over the onions in the ish, slightly overlapping. in a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, rosemary an cheese. Sprinkle over the zucchini and drizzle with additional olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. You can turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes at the end if you need the pancetta to crisp up some more.

* Tip: Make your own bread crumbs with leftover bread. They are far superior to what you can buy in the store. Just place the bread, with the crusts removed, in your food processor and grind away. Fresh bread crumbs can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for quite a while. I make whole wheat bread crumbs all the time from leftover good quality whole grain bread.

For another zucchini recipe, try my mom's Zucchini Lasagna: