It’s time for another Secret Recipe Club post which I look forward to all month – it’s such a cool way to meet different food bloggers and get a sense of community going, too – check out the SRC site if you are interested in joining in on the fun!
This month I was assigned India @ A Vegan Obsession – she’s a gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan blogger from the UK and I must say, though I don’t follow this lifestyle, India’s pretty darn creative when it comes to cooking (case in point, check out this Pulled “Pork” Jackfruit with Crunchy Apple Cabbage Slaw – so interesting!)
But with our summer bounty of yummy fruits and veggies starting to hit, I knew I wanted to make her Summery Zucchini Lasagna.
Zucchini (or courgettes as they are referred to across the pond) and tomatoes are just a few of many many things I love about summer. Throw in some fresh mozzarella cheese, good olive oil, salt & pepper and I’m in heaven. Or take it a step further as India did with this recipe and make a pesto topping with fresh basil, olive oil and garlic.
The tweaks I made to her original recipe included using real fresh mozzarella cheese and garlic scapes from my CSA share in place of the garlic (anyone else crazy for garlic scapes like I am?) I also added some mint to my pesto, simply because I didn’t have enough basil but it was still yummy. I also ended up roasting some grape tomatoes as we have yet to get prime beefsteak tomatoes season here.
Ingredients
- 1 quart grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic scape or 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise, 1/8-inch thick
- 1 cup fresh basil (you can use some mint in place of basil)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic scape or 1 garlic clove
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly
- Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a roasting pan, add tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Put in oven and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. When done, set aside.
- While tomatoes are roasting, heat over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and grill zucchini slices (about 2 1/2 minutes per side.) Add extra oil to pan as needed until all slices are grilled. Set aside.
- To make the pesto, add basil, 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic and lemon juice to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
- To make dish, divide tomato sauce, zucchini noodles, pesto and cheese into four portions for four plates. Layer a few zucchini slices, a spoonful of tomato sauce, a slice of mozzarella, a dollop of pesto and repeat until you make four separate stacks. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each stack. Serve immediately.
Notes
Adapted from A Vegan Obsession's Summery Zucchini Lasagna
I served these in stacks like India did but next time, I think I’ll layer the whole thing in a lasagna pan and then heat it in the oven just to melt the cheese a little bit. Dare I say that I can’t wait for zucchini overload in the next few months? Anyone else with me??
What are your favorite veggies (or fruits!) to grill in the summer?
