Prepared: 10/24/2018

This recipe is from Bon Appetit March 1994. Here is the recipe as it appears in Epicurious.

I prepared it as an appetizer, my offering for the Halloween bash at the studio. It was very tasty, everyone loved it, there were no leftovers, sorry to say.

I didn’t quite make it as the recipe instructed as I only had one medium sized zucchini to hand and fresh parsley- no basil. The parsley works well. I imagine that adding less than the 3 pounds of zucchini made my version more custard-like.

If I made this again I think I would make my version again.

Zucchini-Parmesan Squares

6-side dish or 4-main course servings

3 pounds zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used one medium)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 large onion chopped

2 eggs, beaten to blend

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs

1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried (I used fresh parsley)

Additional Parmesan cheese (See Final Note)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 8-inch square baking dish. Steam zucchini until tender, about 10 minutes. (I used my microwave). Place in bowl and mash. Transfer to sieve and drain well, pressing to release excess water. (I put my mashed zucchini in my mesh straining bag and squeezed out the excess moisture, the end product is less wet.) Place drained zucchini in bowl.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic (I added my garlic much later in the process so it didn’t brown), sauté until light brown, about 10 minutes. Add onion mixture to the zucchini in bowl. Add eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs and basil (I used parsley): stir to blend well. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Bake until firm in the center and brown on top, about 45 minutes.

Final Note: The original recipe says to pass the additional Parmesan on the side at service. Instead I made a mixture of fresh bread crumbs, parsley, and cheese and sprinkled it on top during the last 10 minutes of the cooking, adding a little crunch and texture to the final dish.