Recipe Revisit: Summer Squash Casserole

 

I’d like to say that I went back to this summer squash recipe in order to make it lighter, more virtuous, healthier. With a reduced cream to squash ratio, that may have been the end result, but the real reason I did what I did is that I had two large zucchini and the original recipe only called for the weight of one of them. Thus, a double-volume, but not double-calorie recipe came to be.

I published this recipe in its original form in the first few months that I was writing this blog. It needed an update, and I was just going to snap some new photos, tell you it was just fine made with all zucchini as well with a mixture of summer squashes, and move on to more zucchini recipes. 

That second squash, however, compelled me to plump up the casserole. I doubled the squash content, but I didn’t double the rest of the ingredients, with the exception of the onion. Instead, I only slightly increased the cream volume and left everything else the same.

The casserole is still delicious! In fact, I think it has a cleaner, greener taste now. The basil and onion are great flavors with the zucchini, and the cream and Parmesan are enhancers rather than dominators.

Another quantity I did increase in this recipe is the time the grated zucchini and onion spend draining. There’s a step in which the salted vegetables get a chance to release some moisture and I think this is an important step for keeping the casserole from being too watery and soggy. The greater volume of squash needed longer to properly drain than the time allowed in the original recipe, and I reflected that in the updated recipe below.

I may not have set out to create a more virtuous recipe, but I do really like this inadvertently lightened version of summer squash casserole. And at least I can say that the zucchini isn’t hidden like it is in the cake I put in the last post. Perhaps they can balance each other out in these zucchini-loaded days.

Summer Squash Casserole with Basil and Onion

2 pounds summer squash (zucchini, yellow crooked-neck, patty pan, or a mixture)
1 medium yellow onion
1 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
½ cup chopped fresh basil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter

1. Grate the squash and onion using the shredding blade of a food processor or by hand with a box grater (largest holes).

2. Toss the grated squash and onion with the salt in a colander. Allow to stand and drain in the sink for 30-60 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spin the squash mixture dry in a salad spinner, or squeeze it out with a clean towel and pat dry. You want to get as much of the moisture out of the squash as you can without completely destroying it.

4. In a large bowl, mix the drained squash mixture with the basil, Parmesan and garlic. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish and pour the squash mixture in. Pour the heavy cream evenly over the squash mixture.

5. Melt the butter and toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter until completely moistened. Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the squash mixture.

6. Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes or until the topping is well browned, the cream has been absorbed, and the casserole is bubbling.

Makes 4-6 main dish servings, or at least 8 side dish servings.

Another recipe like this one: Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Bacon and Cheddar

One year ago: Barley Flour Scones