Tomato-Basil Gratin (David Venable)

By davidv

This delicious dish is the perfect way to use up your garden or farmers’ market bounty.

Tip: Use a good serrated knife or a very sharp flat-edged knife to slice the tomatoes. This will prevent bruising the tomato while slicing.

Ingredients

• 6 tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Combine the bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

In a 3-qt casserole or baking dish, cover the bottom with a layer of sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/3 of the bread crumb mixture over the tomatoes. Repeat twice, using all the remaining ingredients.

Drizzle olive oil over the top and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese has browned.