Olive oil’s affinity for roasted vegetables is well known. Here, it coats zucchini, a somewhat watery vegetable that benefits from a long roast. Serve it with chicken pork, beef, or tofu.
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup panko or other dry breadcrumbs
- 2 mild red chile peppers, such as Fresno, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons torn fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. In a bowl, toss the zucchini, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Place the zucchini on the sheet pan, cut sides up.
Step 2
Roast the zucchini for 90 minutes, or until the spears are tender and beginning to shrivel. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting for 10 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a serving plate or platter. Replace the parchment on the sheet pan.
Step 3
In a small bowl, combine the panko with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread the panko on the sheet pan and toast for 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle the zucchini with the panko, chiles, mint, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon zest, and a little more salt and pepper.
Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe adapted from bostonglobe.com
