Zucchini Gratin

I have been wanting to try making my first vegetable gratin for some time now. One of my favorite vegetables is zucchini, so the zucchini gratin makes perfect sense, no? I was so pleased that it turned out nicely. Not terribly creamy like many of the recipes I looked at. This one almost seemed to belong more in the fritatta family.

Zucchini Gratin
5-6 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of rice
3 eggs, beaten
olive oil
6 TB parmesan cheese
3 TB fresh basil or other herb or your choice

Cook the rice in boiling water until tender. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Salt and pepper the zucchini and saute it in about one tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes until tender but still fairly crisp. Remove from pan. After it's cooked, it's nice to chop the cooked zucchini into smaller pieces, but not absolutely necessary.

Add a little more oil, if needed, and saute the onions and garlic until translucent, which should take a few minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the rice, zucchini, onions, and garlic. Add the basil and also more salt and pepper, if needed. Mix in the eggs.

Pour the mixture into a shallow ceramic baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the eggs are set. For the last 4-5 minutes, turn on the broiler to get the top browned and crispy.

Based on a recipe from this gem of a book.