Courgette and tomato gratin
A bubbling courgette and white-bean bake with a crisp bread and Cheddar topping. Beans turn the vegetable gratin into a two-person dinner.
An original Recipe From Fridge editorial recipe idea. Timings are estimates; check doneness as described, not by the clock alone.
Ingredients
- 400g courgettes, sliced 5mm thick
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (about 240g drained)
- 80g bread, torn into coarse crumbs
- 60g Cheddar, grated
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Method
- Prepare the topping
Drain and rinse the beans. Tear bread into small coarse crumbs and grate the cheese, keeping the topping separate from the wet filling until the dish is ready to bake.
- Soften the courgettes
Heat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan. Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook courgettes over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, turning, until softened and excess water has evaporated.
- Make the filling
Add garlic for 1 minute, then tomatoes, beans and oregano. Simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce thickens rather than pooling in the pan.
- Top and bake
Transfer to a roughly 1.5-litre baking dish. Mix bread crumbs and cheese and scatter evenly over the filling. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden on top and bubbling hot in the centre.
- Serve
Rest for 3 minutes so the bubbling subsides, then divide between two plates.
Make it work with what you have
- Use stale but never mouldy bread for the topping. Coarse crumbs give more texture than fine powder.
- Choose vegetarian-labelled Cheddar if required; the recipe name is not a guarantee about cheese production.