Roasted Zucchini with Pecans

It’s zucchini season and I’m so jealous of my community garden neighbours with their trellises overflowing with gorgeous summer squash. There are some as long as my arm, and some fatter (than my arm).

I can eat just zucchini as a main course. Roasted with garlic, olive oil and salt. Thyme if I’m feeling like going all-out. Josée di Stasio taught me (and everyone else who owns her first cookbook) this recipe, but she never intended it as a main. We have yet to go for coffee, she and I. It’ll happen some day. I won’t mention how I eat the zucchini.

Anyway, layer slices of the summer squash, salt and oil them generously à la Italy/southern France, and bake. Voila!

But then I figured protein was a good thing. And I looked around my kitchen for something quick and easy that I had on hand. Pecans! Ooh! I could toast them! No room in the oven, though, so I better just toss them on top of the roasting zucchini themselves. It doesn’t work quite as well since the bottoms kind of steam, but the tops brown and it’s still delicious. Not so much if you’ve soaked the enzyme inhibitors out of the nuts along with most of the flavour, but then you wouldn’t be roasting them anyway.

My poor digestion, but my happy tongue…

Roasted Zucchini with Pecans

4 zucchini
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, not minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup pecan pieces

Slice zucchini into 3/8″ coins. Toss with garlic, salt and oil in a large bowl. Layer in a casserole dish, overlapping each piece slightly with the next. You can layer them on top of each other too, but the lower ones will steam and not get browned and crispy. A baking sheet or roasting pan also works. And if you can get as much of the garlic on top of the zucchini as possible, all the better since it will candy slightly (well, confit, more so).

Bake in a 400°F oven for 25 minutes. Check and see if the top pieces are getting too brown. They probably are. You should be probably turn them over so their soft sides get some of the hot air and the tops (now the bottoms) don’t burn. Again, garlic at the top as long as it’s not burning. Roast for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the pecans and roast 10 minutes more.

Wait 2 minutes until slightly cooler, but pick at the crispy garlic now while it’s at its best. Devour zucchini. Thank di Stasio.