Italian Zucchini Tomato Herb Bake

What’s the most fun way to use up a glut of summer tomatoes and zucchini? Turn them into a cheesy Italian zucchini herb bake!

We’re in the thick of summer, even though it’s after Labor Day. The plants out back are exploding with tomatoes, and we got even more from the last CSA of the season, along with zucchini.

A ton of zucchini.

Or, as I call it, “the perfect amount of zucchini.”

This time of year, I’ll happily eat zucchini three meals a day.

A breakfast zucchini sauté with onions and jalapenos? Yes, please!

A lunch of zucchini fries? Sign me up!

And then, finally a dinner of lemon oregano chicken with an Italian tomato zucchini casserole topped with a multitude and myriad of fresh herbs that are softly wilted on the hearty cheesy crust of the panko?

Well, I’ll happily eat that too.

And the pure joy of this casserole recipe is that it takes about 10 minutes to prep (or less depending on how sharp your knife is!), and then it’s hands off baking time.

Then, when you bring the dish to the table and the smell of the tomatoes, zucchini, onions, butter, parmesan, tarragon, parsley, chives, and thyme start wafting through the air – well – let’s just say all is right with the world.

Italian Zucchini Tomato Herb Bake

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons

2 large slicing tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried basil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½-3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons room temperature salted butter

½-3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh thyme

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with olive oil.

In a large bowl, toss together the zucchini, tomatoes, onion, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.

Top with panko, and dot with room temperature butter.

Sprinkle with parmesan.

Cover the baking pan with foil, and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove foil, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are bubbly and softened, and cheese is browned.

Top with tarragon, parsley, chives, and thyme, and let the residual heat wilt the herbs.

Stir the herbs into the zucchini mixture when serving.

Serve hot, or warm. Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.