Vegetable Parmesan with Eggplant, Zucchini and Mushrooms
Instructions:
Here’s a no-fry vegetable casserole version of an Italian-American favorite. 2 small eggplants 2 medium zucchini 2 medium yellow summer squash 1 tablespoon salt 3 large portobello mushroom caps 1â„2 cup olive oil 2 medium onions, minced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves or 11â„2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoon stemmed thyme or 1â„2 teaspoon dried thyme 1â„2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 31â„2 cups canned diced tomatoes 1â„4 cup chopped basil leaves 6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano 1â„2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Makes 8 servings
- Peel the eggplants and slice them the long way into 1â„2-inch-thick strips. Slice the zucchini and squash the long way into 1â„2-inch strips (you may have to cut off the crooked necks and slice these separately).
- Lay a double layer of paper towels on your work surface, place all the strips on the towels, and sprinkle 11â„2 teaspoons salt over them. Turn over and sprinkle on the remaining 11â„2 teaspoons salt.
- Let stand for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes. Meanwhile, divide the racks into the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Blot all the vegetable strips dry with clean paper towels, then set the strips on two large lipped baking sheets; do not overlap any strips. Thinly slice the mushroom caps and place these on the trays as well. Drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over all the vegetables, then turn them over and drizzle 3 tablespoons on their other sides. (You can spread the oil around with a pastry brush for better coverage.)
- Place in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reverse the sheets top to bottom and back to front, fl ip the vegetables over, and continue baking until soft, lightly browned, and a little shriveled, about 15 more minutes. Remove the sheets from the oven and place on wire cooling racks. Shift the racks in the oven so one is in the middle and reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
- Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, thyme, and pepper; cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the tomatoes, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium, and continue cooking until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the basil.
- Use a cheese plane or a vegetable peeler to shave the Parmigiano-Reggiano into thin strips.
- Layer these in the following order evenly in a 13xï€ 9-inch baking dish: a quarter of the tomato sauce, the eggplant slices, a quarter of the cheese strips, a third of the remaining tomato sauce, the zucchini slices, a third of the remaining cheese strips, half the remaining tomato sauce, the mushroom slices, half the remaining cheese, the yellow squash strips, all the remaining tomato sauce, and all the remaining cheese strips. Some of the vegetables may not entirely cover the pan in a single layer; you can make up for any defi cits in the next layer of vegetables above. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg.
- Bake until the cheese has melted and browned a bit on top and the sauce is bubbling, about 40 minutes. (You may want to lay a large piece of aluminum foil on the rack below the casserole after it has baked for 30 minutes to catch any drips.) Set on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.