Skillet Zucchini Gratin

Name: Skillet Zucchini Gratin
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Zucchini 4 cups; Breadcrumbs finely ground ¼ cup; Rustic breadcrumbs 4 tbsp; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.5 oz; Thyme to taste; Fine salt to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Garlic 1 clove

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Very low

PRESENTATION

Skillet Zucchini Gratin is a stovetop summer side dish that skips the oven entirely — zucchini cubes stay firm and pick up a golden, thyme-scented breadcrumb crust, all in one pan. The toasted breadcrumb topping gets its crunch and fragrance directly from the skillet's heat, and that direct contact produces a result no oven-broiled version quite replicates. There is no cream, no cheese, and no baking step: the whole dish comes together quickly, which makes it a natural choice when the weather is warm and turning on the oven is the last thing you want to do.

Cutting the zucchini into cubes rather than rounds or strips is a deliberate choice — each piece holds its shape during cooking and gets proper contact with the breadcrumb crust instead of steaming under it. The thyme works its way into the crumbs as they toast, so the fragrance builds in the pan rather than being added at the end. Because the zucchini stay genuinely firm, the finished dish has texture rather than softness, which is part of what makes it so versatile. It goes just as well alongside grilled fish or roasted chicken as it does next to a vegetarian main, and it holds up well enough to serve at room temperature if the timing of a meal shifts.

How to prepare Skillet Zucchini Gratin

To prepare the skillet zucchini gratin, in a bowl combine the fine and coarse breadcrumbs 1, then season with thyme 2 and salt 3.

Then mix everything together 4. In a skillet heat a drizzle of oil 5 and add the seasoned breadcrumbs 6.

Toast them over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until nicely browned and fragrant 7. Set aside and continue with the preparation. Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut them lengthwise 8 to separate the inner part from the skin 9.

Once you have the outer portions, cut them into cubes about 1 cm (3/8 in) or 1.5 cm (5/8 in) per side 10. At this point, heat a drizzle of oil with a clove of garlic in a skillet 11 and sauté the zucchini 12 over medium-high heat. It will take about 6–7 minutes to make them nicely golden and crispy.

Finally, when the zucchini are ready, turn off the heat, remove the garlic clove 13, season with salt 14 and add grated Parmesan 15.

Season with the toasted breadcrumbs 16, give one last stir to combine the flavors 17 and serve the skillet zucchini gratin immediately 18.

Storage

Skillet zucchini gratin keeps in the fridge for a couple of days.

You can freeze them after cooking.

Tip

Don’t throw away the discarded white inner part: you can dice it finely and quickly sauté it in a skillet with some spring onion to make the base for a delicate vegetable risotto, or grate it finely and squeeze it well to add into the mixture for soft ricotta or tuna patties.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

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