Mireille Johnston

Tian de Courges

Baked Zucchini, Pumpkin, or Squash with Rice and Cheese

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • For

    6

    people

Appears in

top 1000The Cuisine of the Sun: Classical French Cooking from Nice and Provence

The Cuisine of the Sun

By Mireille Johnston

Published 1990

  • About

According to the season, this dish can be made with any of the three vegetables: zucchini, squash, or pumpkin. Serve as a separate course or with a roast leg of lamb. It is a light, delicate dish which deserves your good homemade bread crumbs on top.

Ingredients

  • 6 zucchini, unpeeled, or 2 pounds pumpkin* or squash, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 2/3 cup cooked rice
  • ½ cup freshly grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Method

Chop the zucchini or pumpkin or squash. Preheat the oven to 375°.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and gently cook the onion until tender. Add the zucchini or pumpkin or squash and cook for 10 minutes over a low flame, stirring from time to time. Remove from heat and cool a little.

Blend the rice, cheese, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper and combine with the zucchini and onion. Spread the mixture in an oiled shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.

*Pumpkin is very sweet and bland, so it requires a fair amount of salt. Taste to be sure it is seasoned enough.

Variations

Before baking, cover the dish with 4 tomatoes, cut in half and gently squeeze to remove excess water and seeds; omit the bread crumbs and sprinkle ½ cup chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a little olive oil all over the top.

If you want to make a finer, more delicate version of this dish, pass the vegetables through a Mouli food mill before covering with the bread crumbs and olive oil. Bake for only 15 minutes at 375°.

© 1990 Mireille Johnston estate. All rights reserved.