Mmmm I don’t even know how to describe this dish except to say mmmmm. Layered veggies, fresh thyme, a caramelized-like onion base, and fresh basil walnut pesto… what’s not to love there!? Once again, my fridge was packed to the edge, so I wanted to use up some stuff and see what I could create. Seeing that I had a plethora of basil on the verge of wilting, I immediately began making pesto… it’s so good and such a great way to use up herbs while they’re fresh! I also saw a heap of red potatoes and some colorful zucchini… so Spring-ish. I began imagining all the flavors combos I could go with, settling on this simple, yet delightful (and I don’t use that word much!) layered platter of heaven. Totally recommend you try!! Its simplicity lets the veggie’s natural flavors shine while the caramelized onion and pesto add the perfect savory hint to make this an amazing bite for any time of the day… morning, noon, or night, I would be happy to dig into another plate! Plus, the pesto can be kept in the fridge for days and used for pasta, sandwiches, pizza.. whatever!!
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
For the layered veggies…
2-3 medium potatoes (I used red)
3 tomatoes (aim for about same size as zukes & potatoes- I ended up using smaller ones- see below)
1 green zucchini
1 yellow zucchini
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
fresh thyme, about 4-5 sprigs
shredded parmesan, about 1/4 cup
salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and
saute onions, garlic, and about 1 sprig of fresh thyme
with a sprinkle of salt and pepper
Cook until onions are translucent and lightly golden, about 5 minutes
Meanwhile, slice all of the veggies so they are they same thickness
(this will allow them to cook evenly), about 1/4 inch
Spread the onion and garlic mix on the bottom of a baking dish
(square or rectangular will work best)
Place the veggies over the onion mixture, layering alternating veggies in a row
Repeat with the remaingin veggies
Sprinkle with about 2/3 of the parmesan and top each row with a sprig of thyme
(the leaves will fall off during cooking)
Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes
When done, remove foil and thyme sprigs (stems only)
Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and return to oven for about ten more minutes
Meanwhile, prepare the pesto…
This recipe makes more than the amount needed for this dish- if you don’t want extras
(I LOVE having pesto around for other uses!), then reduce amounts by about 1/4
INGREDIENTS
*As usual, I used what I have- if you don’t have both nuts, substitute as needed
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
1/2 tsp salt, plus more as desired
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1/2 cup water, adjust as needed
Place basil, parsley, walnuts, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, salt and pepper
in a food processor an blend until chopped well
Add oil and water, adjusting to desired texture
Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed
When it’s how you like it, spread onto plate before serving
Back to the veggies…
To serve, use a spatula to separate the layers/onion mixture on bottom
carefully lay on plate over the pesto
(you may need to do a few veggies at a time to keep in nice rows)
Yumm 🙂
Enjoy!
