Baked Spinach and Zucchini

I have, for months, been trying to convince myself that a truly organized person needs only grocery shop once a month. So far, I have been able to stick to this with few exceptions. The problem with this scheme is that I end up buying a lot of produce all at once, and then it all starts to get dodgy at once, and I end up with one vegetarian meal or side dish after another. You may not see a problem with this, but let me tell you, when those vegetables are cruciferous, you end up with a BIG problem. We won’t even go there. As a consequence zucchini that I had planned to use in zucchini bread ended up taking a different direction in Ina Garten’s recipe called Baked Spinach and Zucchini. I love this dish for many reasons. It is relatively easy to put together, can be made ahead, can be served hot or at room temperature, as a main dish or side dish, and works at any meal of the day, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I didn’t have any extra large eggs, so I used three large ones and upped the cream. My version is below. This would be perfect for the holidays.

Baked Spinach and Zucchini
Slightly adapted from Ina Garten

Olive oil
3 scallions, white and green parts, sliced ¼” across
2 small zucchini, sliced in ¼”-thick rounds
½ T. Melissa’s minced garlic
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
½ c. cooked basmati rice
2 T. chopped fresh basil
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
¼ t. ground nutmeg
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs
½ c. heavy cream
1 T. unsalted butter, melted
¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra
2 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8” x 8” baking dish with PAM; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan. Add the scallions and zucchini and sauté for two minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Lightly press most of the water out of the spinach and add it to the pan. Add the rice, basil, parsley, nutmeg, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, and toss well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, melted butter, and ½ cup Parmesan. Pour the mixture over the spinach and zucchini, and smooth the top. Sprinkle with some extra Parmesan cheese and the Gruyere. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.