Cremini Mushroom and Zucchini Gratin is the easiest and most elegant-looking appetizer to serve your guests. Everyone gets their dish. That always seems to make friends and family feel extra special.
Whenever I make a tomato sauce, I always seem to have plenty left over. There are just two of us, so I’m always trying to think up different ways to use any leftover sauce. That’s how this dish came to be. This recipe can be made even if you don’t have leftover sauce; use your favorite jarred marinara sauce.
Prep Time: 25 minutes (includes slicing and sautèeing of the vegetables)
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment: 4 gratin dishes, 2 rimmed sheet pans, 1 (12-inch) sauté pan, mini food processor, chef’s knife, cutting board
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of olive oil, divided, plus 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
2 whole zucchini, 1/4-inch slices
1 whole yellow squash, 1/4-inch slices
2 pints of cremini mushrooms, sliced (small ones quartered)
1 1/2 cups leftover Homemade Marinara Sauce (substitute your favorite jarred marinara sauce)
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried thyme)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (for seasoning zucchini and squash)
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground (for seasoning zucchini and squash)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese, whole milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 large egg
Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated (reserve 3 tablespoons for the top of each gratin)
1/4 cup of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large sautépan over medium-high heat, carefully melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and fresh thyme leaves.
First sautè the mushrooms for about 5-7 minutes, or until they’ve browned and are tender. Only then season with kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste. This process allows them to brown and not steam from the water they release. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Slice 2 zucchinis and 1 yellow squash about 1/2 an inch thick. Place them into a bowl and sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, using the same sautè pan, over medium heat. Give the oil a chance to come up to temperature, but not smoking.
Arrange the sliced zucchini and squash in one layer in the pan; do not overcrowd the veggies. This needs to be done in two separate batches. They will shallow fry for about 2 minutes per side. Do this just long enough for the veggies to soften and get some nice color before they go into the gratin dishes. Repeat the process for the remaining zucchini and squash using the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil.
Again, have another large plate lined with a paper towel ready for the sautéed veggies once they’re finished cooking to drain off any extra grease.
While that’s working, go ahead and process the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, add the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, Italian parsley, 3/4 cup of the fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a pinch each of kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, and mix to combine. If you are using leftover marinara or are using jarred, have it ready.
In each of the 4 gratin dishes, place a layer of the zucchini and squash. Next, add a thin layer of the marinara sauce. To that, add the sautèed mushrooms. Spoon on one-fourth of the ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle a little of the reserved fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top.
Place the dishes on a rimmed sheet pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Finish by garnishing with finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley. Serve hot.
There you have it, my Cremini Mushroom and Zucchini Gratin.
Note:
1) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.
Cremini Mushroom And Zucchini Gratin
Equipment
- 4 gratin dishes
- 2 rimmed baking sheet pans
- 1 saute pan 12-inch
- 1 mini food processor
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil Divided, plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 tbsps butter Unsalted
- 2 whole zucchini 1/4-inch slices
- 1 whole yellow squash 1/4-inch slices
- 2 pints cremini mushrooms Sliced (small ones quartered)
- 1 1/2 cups leftover Homemade Marinara Sauce (substitute your favorite jarred marinara sauce)
- 2 tbsps fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried thyme)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (for seasoning zucchini and squash)
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground (for seasoning zucchini and squash)
- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese Whole milk
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 large egg
- kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste For the ricotta mixture
- 3/4 +3 cup + tbsps Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly grated (reserve 3 tablespoons for the top of each gratin)
- 1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped (reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.In a large sautépan over medium-high heat, carefully melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and fresh thyme leaves.First sautè the mushrooms for about 5-7 minutes, or until they've browned and are tender. Only then season with kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste. This process allows them to brown and not steam from the water they release. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.Slice 2 zucchinis and 1 yellow squash about 1/2 an inch thick. Place them into a bowl and sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, using the same sautè pan, over medium heat. Give the oil a chance to come up to temperature, but not smoking.Arrange the sliced zucchini and squash in one layer in the pan; do not overcrowd the veggies. This needs to be done in two separate batches. They will shallow fry for about 2 minutes per side. Do this just long enough for the veggies to soften and get some nice color before they go into the gratin dishes. Repeat the process for the remaining zucchini and squash using the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil.Again, have another large plate lined with a paper towel ready for the sautéed veggies once they're finished cooking to drain off any extra grease.While that's working, go ahead and process the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.In a large bowl, add the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, Italian parsley, 3/4 cup of the fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a pinch each of kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, and mix to combine. If you are using leftover marinara or are using jarred, have it ready.In each of the 4 gratin dishes, place a layer of the zucchini and squash. Next, add a thin layer of the marinara sauce. To that, add the sautèed mushrooms. Spoon on one-fourth of the ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle a little of the reserved fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top.Place the dishes on a rimmed sheet pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Finish by garnishing with finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley. Serve hot.There you have it, my Cremini Mushroom and Zucchini Gratin.
Notes
https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/
https://lindalouhamel.com/2015/01/16/my-gluten-free-meat-free-veggie-balls-in-marinara-sauce/
