Summer Squash Spiral

The Inspiration…

The first year my husband and I decided to plant a vegetable garden we had all the enthusiasm in the world. What could be better than reaping the harvest that you put your blood (hopefully not much of that), sweat, and tears into? We were so enthusiastic that we may have gotten in a little over our heads. We planted all the things; broccoli, cauliflower, four types of peppers, 5 types of tomatoes, zucchini, and summer squash. A LOT of zucchini and summer squash. The general rule of thumb is to plant 1-2 zucchini or summer squash plants per person. Apparently, we thought that between the two of us we would eat a lot more than that because we planted 6, yes SIX, zucchini plants and SIX summer squash plants. Needless to say, we were drowning in those vegetables our first summer. I was trying to come up with creative ways to use it and made up this recipe. It is kind of a cross between a ratatouille and briami. It is not only stunning visually, but in flavor as well. This simple dish will impress even your toughest critic!

Let’s gather our ingredients. You’ll need 5 (small) zucchini or summer squash. I like to mix the two for a little contrast in the colors, but you can use all of one kind if you prefer. You’ll also need some olive oil, fire roasted tomatoes, red onion, roasted red peppers, dried oregano and basil, garlic, salt, and fresh Italian parsley.

Slice your zucchini and/or summer squash into about 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Put those in a bowl and add your olive oil, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, and parsley. Slice your onions and roasted red peppers to prepare for assembly. Pour your fire roasted tomatoes into the bottom of a pie dish. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of salt on top of them.

Now we can start assembling the components. Sandwich three pieces of squash together. I like to alternate colors, but however it ends up will look beautiful! I also start with the larger (in diameter) pieces of squash on the outside of the pie plate and save the small slices for the middle. Place your 3 pieces of squash on the edge of the pie dish, then add a few slices of onion. Repeat with the squash, then add a piece of roasted pepper. Repeat along the whole outside ring. Then start another row and so-on until the whole dish it full. It usually fits 3 rings. You may have some pieces of squash, onion, or pepper left. Find a spot for them and squeeze them in where they fit. Leave no man, or vegetable, behind! Make sure you scrape all the oil, herbs, and garlic out of the bowl, too!

Cover the dish with tin foil and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the tin foil and cook for another 15 minutes to let some of the juices cook down. Then serve! I love to serve this with grilled chicken or fish. It is bright in flavor and appearance. I’ve also made this in a 9x13 baking dish when feeding a larger crowd. Instead of doing a spiral pattern, I made rows lengthwise, alternating direction each time.

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Summer Squash Spiral

Yield: 4

Author: Julia Goodrich

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 60 MinInactive time: 5 MinTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

This easy dish is the perfect way to use up the squash taking over your garden! It's bright colors, and flavors, will impress your dinner guests this summer.

Ingredients

• 4 Squash, zucchini and/or summer squash
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pour your tomatoes into the bottom of a pie dish, season with 1 tsp salt.
3. Slice your zucchini/squash into rounds about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine your sliced squash, olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, oregano, basil, garlic, and parsley. Mix well to ensure all the squash is coated evenly.
5. Now we can start assembling the components. Sandwich three pieces of squash together. I like to alternate colors, but however it ends up will look beautiful! I also start with the larger pieces of squash on the outside of the pie plate and save the small slices for the middle. Place your 3 pieces of squash on the edge of the pie dish, then add a few slices of onion. Repeat with the squash, then add a piece of roasted pepper. Repeat this pattern along the whole outside ring. Then start another row and so-on until the whole dish it full. You may have some pieces of squash, onion, or pepper left. Find a spot for them and squeeze them in where they fit. Make sure you scrape all the oil, herbs, and garlic out of the bowl, too!
6. Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes to let the juices cook down a bit. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes, then serve.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

157.21

Fat

10.96

Sat. Fat

1.55

Carbs

13.28

Fiber

3.5

Net carbs

9.77

Sugar

6.88

Protein

3.68

Sodium

1044.84

Cholesterol

0

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

Squash, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Roasted Red Pepper, Garden, Onion, Parsley, Oregano, basil, Olive oil, Garlic Roasted Tomatoes

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