This is a tasty thing to do with the zucchini so plentiful in the summertime. But a warning: don’t take shortcuts with the salting and squeezing, or it will be too moist.
Yield:
Serves 4.Ingredients
2 medium zucchini
Salt as needed
1 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 stick sweet butter
1 large clove garlic, minced
Grated mozzarella to taste
Instructions
Grate 2 medium zucchini into a large bowl, skin and all (with large zucchini, remove the seeds first). Salt the zucchini liberally and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Flood the bowl with water and strain. Repeat the bath 2 or 3 times until the salt is fully washed out. Flood the zucchini again and squeeze handfuls as hard as you can between your palms. Peel and grate a medium onion into the bowl with the zucchini. Fluff and mix with a fork. Add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, 1-1/2 teaspoons of grated Romano (or Parmesan) cheese, and a medium sprinkling of nutmeg. Mix with a fork. In a saucepan, melt butter and lightly sauté the garlic. Remove pan from heat. Toss the zucchini mixture into the pan and stir. Divide the zucchini into 4 an gratin dishes and cover lightly with grated mozzarella and a bit more grated Romano (or Parmesan). Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes, then brown the cheese under the broiler.
