This RV-easy recipe is perfect to use your late season vegetable garden bounty – tomatoes, zucchini and basil. Watch the salt in this casserole: there could be a lot of salt in the stock and parmesan cheese is quite salty. Use an 8×8-inch pan (that can be covered with foil) or a small, covered baking dish.
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for oiling the baking dish)
Half of a medium yellow onion, chopped fine (about ½ cup)
1 clove garlic, minced fine
½ cup long grain white rice
2 Tablespoons freshly minced basil leaves (plus more for garnish, if desired)
½ teaspoon Kosher salt (if desired)
Black pepper, to taste
1 cup vegetable broth (or chicken stock or water) (I used vegetable stock)
1 medium zucchini squash, sliced into 1/3-inch rounds
1 large ripe tomato, sliced into 1/3-inch rounds
½ cup parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated (about 1 ounce)
Heat the oven to 375°. Oil an 8×8-inch baking dish (that can be covered with foil) or a small covered baking dish. Heat a small frying pan over a medium-low flame and coat the skillet bottom with olive oil. Saute the minced onion and garlic for about five minutes until soft. Add the uncooked rice and stir to coat the rice completely with oil, one minute. Toss in the minced basil and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Pour this rice and onion mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread the rice mixture evenly to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Pour one cup of veggie or chicken stock evenly over the rice mixture at the bottom of the baking dish.
Lay the cut slices of zucchini evenly over the rice/stock layer, over-lapping if necessary. Place the sliced tomatoes evenly over the zucchini layer. Cover the baking dish and bake at 375° for thirty minutes. Remove from oven. Remove the lid/foil and sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the half-baked casserole. Return the casserole to the oven to bake, uncovered, for 10-15 additional minutes or until the cheese has browned and the casserole is bubbling at edges. Remove from oven. Let rest five minutes. Garnish with additional basil chiffonade, if desired, and serve.
Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
