Monika Blogwell

My dear friend Chloë (the umlaut isn’t optional) recently told me about her bad experience making a zucchini polenta tart. Well, she told everyone on Facebook, but I could commiserate. Apparently, according to her, it was more like a “zucchini polenta blob.” I’ve never tried Chloë’s cooking, but I’m sure it was delicious… And if it wasn’t, I’m sure it was just a bad recipe.

Either way, I promised Chloë that I would share a recipe I found a while back (I can’t remember what cookbook it is originally from, but I’m going to try to find out) for a Torta di Rissoto with a sneaky little zucchini layer. Since I like zucchini, I make the sneaky little layer a very hard to miss middle portion. You can also put other veggies in if you don’t like zucchini. I made the dish last night, but I probably used a little too much zucchini because it didn’t hold its shape as much as I would have liked. It was, however, quite tasty. And Patrick agreed. Don’t tell my thighs, but we ate the whole thing.

Here’s the recipe with my modifications.

Ingredients
1-2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1/3 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

14 ounces canned diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1 handful basil, leaves torn or coarsely chopped

1 cup arborio risotto rice

5 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Kosher salt or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Lightly oil a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 425 F.
Heat a stovetop grill pan until very hot. Brush both sides of the zucchini slices with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add to the pan and sear, turning halfway through the cooking, until softened and marked with black stripes. Alternatively, put zucchini slices on an oiled baking sheet, add salt and pepper, and roast in a preheated oven at 400 F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.

Heat a small amount of oil in a saucepan. Meanwhile, boil several cups of water. Add the rice to the saucepan and coat in oil. Gradually add the boiled water to the rice, stirring occasionally. Continue to add water until the rice is tender, but still slightly al dente.

Heat the remaining oil in a separate saucepan, add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce-mixture has thickened slightly. Stir in the basil.

Add the rice to the tomato sauce and mix well. Stir in the cheeses and add salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs into the prepared loaf pan, tipping the pan from side to side until coated. Spoon in half the rice mixture and smooth flat. Add the zucchini in a single layer, then top with the remaining rice. Smooth flat, pressing down firmly. Sprinkle with the remaining bread crumbs. (The torta may be refrigerated at this point, then cooked later.)

Bake in preheated 425 F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and bubbling around the edges. Let stand for 10 minutes. Run a long-bladed, sharp knife between the torta and the pan, then turn out onto a board or platter, tap the pan all over, and lift it off. Cut the torta into slices and serve with a green salad. Makes 4 to 6 servings.