Another idea for abundant summer zucchini

I always hear a lot of "What can I make with all the zucchini I have from the garden?" during the summer. Here, thanks to Giada (yes, again) is another option for zucchini lovers (and any other vegetable you would want to toss in the dish as well).

I am really getting my money's worth out of my two Giada cookbooks so I'm more than happy to share my reviews of what I make. This one was just great. Its probably a little on the fattening side as it's made with heavy cream, but you could definitely swap it out for half n half, light cream, or a combo of half n half and skim milk. The combo of the cream and the cheese made almost a mac n cheese sauce and it was just delicious! The recipe calls for zucchini - I added one yellow squash in the center layer to change it up a bit. Giada says that this will make 4 side servings but really 6 is more realistic - we have lots of leftovers! Paired with a nice NY strip steak and a baked potato, these veggies really round out the meal.

Vendure al Forno

• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 medium zucchini, (about 1 1/2 pounds) cut crosswise into 1 inch thick slices (I used 2 zucchini and 1 yellow squash and cut them 1/2 inch thick)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• 1 cup grated fontina
• 6 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 cup plain dried bread crumbs
• extra olive oil for drizzling* (I drizzled about 1 tsp on after about 38 minutes of cooking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Coat the bottom of an 8 inch square baking dish with extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange zucchini slices on the bottom of the dish in a single layer to cover. Sprinkle with one third of the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour 1/3 cup of the heavy cream and sprinkle with 1/3 cup each of mozzarella and fontina cheese.

Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of Pecorino Romano cheese, then with 1/3 cup of the bread crumbs. Repeat layering the indredients two more times. (The vegetables can be assembled 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.) Place baking dish on the baking sheet and bake uncovered until golden brown on top and sauce bubbles, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.nding with the bread crumbs. Place the baking dish on top and bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and the top is golden brown. (*I turned the broiler on for the last 1 minute to let the top brown)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6