Everyday Italian_ 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes Part 45

Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Coat the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish with the oil. Arrange enough of the zucchini slices over the bottom of the dish in a single layer to cover. Sprinkle with one third of the salt and pepper. Pour cup of the heavy cream over the zucchini and sprinkle with cup each of mozzarella cheese and fontina cheese. to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Coat the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish with the oil. Arrange enough of the zucchini slices over the bottom of the dish in a single layer to cover. Sprinkle with one third of the salt and pepper. Pour cup of the heavy cream over the zucchini and sprinkle with cup each of mozzarella cheese and fontina cheese.

Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of Pecorino Romano cheese, then with cup of bread crumbs. Repeat layering the ingredients two more times. (The vegetables can be a.s.sembled 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.) Place the baking dish on the baking sheet and bake uncovered until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

ROASTED BABY POTATOES.

with Herbs and Garlic I like to mix different types of potatoes for this, my all-time favorite roasted-potato recipe. The only extra time it takes is at the market, for the cas.h.i.+er to price a different item. Use whichever varieties you find or prefer, and serve this as a side to nearly any meat or fish dish. And it's just as easy for a crowd as it is for two people.

4 TO 6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS.

cup olive oil cup olive oil

1.

tablespoon herbes de Provence or dried Italian seasoning tablespoon herbes de Provence or dried Italian seasoning

3.

garlic cloves, minced garlic cloves, minced

1.

pound fingerling potatoes or small white or red-skinned potatoes pound fingerling potatoes or small white or red-skinned potatoes .

pound small red-skinned potatoes (about 1-inch diameter) pound small red-skinned potatoes (about 1-inch diameter) .

pound small white-skinned potatoes (about 1-inch diameter) pound small white-skinned potatoes (about 1-inch diameter)

1.

teaspoon salt, plus more to taste teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1.

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Preheat the Oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, herbes de Provence, and garlic to blend. Add all of the potatoes and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a large, heavy baking sheet, s.p.a.cing evenly. Set the bowl aside (do not clean the bowl). to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, herbes de Provence, and garlic to blend. Add all of the potatoes and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a large, heavy baking sheet, s.p.a.cing evenly. Set the bowl aside (do not clean the bowl).

Roast the potatoes until they are tender and golden, turning them occasionally, about 1 hour. Transfer the roasted potatoes to the reserved bowl and toss to coat with any herb oil remaining in the bowl. Season the potatoes with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.

Herb-Roasted ROOT VEGETABLES.

Root vegetables are particularly forgiving when it comes to roasting times: Slightly undercooked and they have a little extra firmness, while on the other hand it takes quite a while to overcook them to the mus.h.i.+ness point. So this recipe is one of my main choices when I'm preparing an entree that's going to require stovetop attention at the end of cooking. While I'm reducing a sauce or sauteing some veal, I don't want to worry that I'll need to remove the veggies from the oven at precisely 7:15. And with this recipe, I don't.

6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS.

4.

medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

4.

medium parsnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices medium parsnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

8.

ounces Brussels sprouts, halved ounces Brussels sprouts, halved

1.

large sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices large sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

cup extra-virgin olive oil cup extra-virgin olive oil

1.

tablespoon dried oregano tablespoon dried oregano

1.

tablespoon dried basil tablespoon dried basil

1.

teaspoon dried thyme teaspoon dried thyme

1.

teaspoon dried rosemary teaspoon dried rosemary

2.

teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

2.

teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste