Cheesy Make-Ahead Zucchini Tian with Parmesan Rice

You need two pounds (1 kg) of fresh zucchini to make Cheesy Make-Ahead Zucchini Tian with Parmesan Rice. The salt draws out natural juices that act as the stock for the grains. The whole pan bakes at 425°F (220°C) until the rice swells and absorbs every drop of liquid.

Zucchini Prep

You shred the zucchini and toss the pieces with two teaspoons of salt. You set the salted shreds in a colander over a separate bowl. The salt needs twenty minutes to sweat the liquid out of the vegetables. This liquid functions as the stock for the pan. You press down on the shreds to force the maximum amount of juice into the bowl below. You can pour the squeezed liquid back through the colander to strain out any loose vegetable bits. You then wash the salty shreds under cold tap water for fifteen seconds. You wring out the lingering water forcefully and discard this salty runoff. Finally, you pat the washed vegetables until they feel mostly dry. A cook who skips the salt and just sautés the zucchini will lose the juices needed to flavor the dish.

Gratin Base

The cooking liquid mixes the extracted zucchini juice with enough milk to reach exactly two and a half cups. You need to warm this dairy mixture gently on the stove or in the microwave. A full boil causes the milk to split.

You warm two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and drop in the minced garlic and diced onion. You cook the aromatics slowly over medium heat for eight minutes. The onions become sweet and caramelized as they turn translucent and take on a golden color. High heat prevents the onions from softening properly.

You increase the burner to medium-high heat and fold in the dried zucchini. You cook the mixture for five minutes while tossing everything often. You scatter two tablespoons of flour over the vegetables and cook for exactly two minutes. You must keep the mixture moving the whole time to toast the flour evenly. You take the pan off the heat and fold in all but two tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. You taste the vegetable base and add salt and black pepper if desired. The half cup of uncooked medium-grain white rice swells significantly due to the high volume of liquid. You can use medium-grain white rice, or a long- or short-grain variety. Brown, arborio, paella, basmati, and jasmine rice do not work for this recipe. You stir the rice and your warmed liquid into the vegetables.

Vegan substitutions

You can easily adapt the pan for a vegan diet. You omit the parmesan cheese and swap in a plant-based milk. Soy milk works better than almond milk because it lacks a nutty flavor. You can top the final pan with panko breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil before it goes into the oven.

Assembly & Baking

You need a buttered baking dish with a six to eight cup capacity. You can prepare the meal in advance by stopping after you mix the rice and liquid into the skillet. You keep the unbaked pan in the refrigerator and bake it on the day you plan to eat.

To bake right away, you set the skillet back onto the burner until it reaches a simmer. You pour everything into the baking dish and scatter the remaining two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese across the top. A final tablespoon of olive oil goes over the cheese. You cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil and place it into the top third of the oven.

You bake the covered dish for fifteen minutes before taking off the lid. The dish bakes uncovered for another ten to fifteen minutes. You pull the pan when the top looks golden and the moisture appears soaked in. You must then angle the pan slightly to check for hidden pools of moisture. You need to return the dish to the oven in five-minute bursts if liquid pools on the surface. The pan will turn out soggy if you skip this check.

Resting and serving

A ten-minute rest on the counter allows the rice to absorb any remaining liquid. You serve the warm dish immediately after this short resting period.

• You can serve the pan as either a main course or a side dish.
• The baked dish keeps its shape much like a gratin when portioned.