Ina Garten’s Provencal Zucchini Gratin Recipe with French Flair

Zucchini gratin represents a sumptuous celebration of summer’s vibrant garden bounty, transforming humble vegetables into an elegant culinary masterpiece.

This French-inspired dish blends creamy textures with rich, aromatic layers that dance across your palate.

Mediterranean cooking traditions shine through its luxurious composition, where simple ingredients elevate each other’s natural qualities.

Delicate zucchini slices nestle beneath a golden, crispy topping that promises irresistible comfort and depth.

Rustic yet refined, the gratin speaks to home cooks seeking sophisticated yet approachable recipes that impress without overwhelming.

Hearty and satisfying, it delivers a harmonious balance of crisp and smooth sensations that make you crave every single bite: dive into this delectable experience.

Helpful Notes for a Creamy Finish

• Select Crisp Zucchini: Choose small, firm zucchinis with bright green skin for the most delicious results.
• Master Precise Cooking: Sauté zucchini until just tender to prevent a watery, mushy texture in your final dish.
• Create Silky Sauce: Pour half-and-half gradually to achieve a perfectly smooth, creamy consistency that binds the gratin beautifully.
• Grate Cheese Fresh: Shred Gruyère by hand moments before using to unlock maximum melting potential and rich flavor.
• Rest for Flavor Fusion: Allow the gratin to settle for 10 minutes after baking, which helps ingredients meld and ensures cleaner, more elegant serving.

How to Save the Leftovers Right

• Preserve Freshness: Wrap the gratin tightly in plastic wrap or transfer to a sealed glass container to maintain its delicious flavor and prevent moisture loss. Glass containers work best for keeping the dish's texture intact and preventing unwanted refrigerator odors from seeping in.
• Quick Reheating: Sprinkle a tablespoon of fresh Parmesan cheese on top before warming to revive the crispy top layer. Reheat in the oven at 175°C/350°F for 15-20 minutes, ensuring the gratin returns to its original golden, bubbling perfection.
• Freezer Storage: Portion the gratin into individual servings before freezing. Wrap each portion in freezer-safe plastic wrap and aluminum foil, which protects against freezer burn and makes future meal prep a breeze.

Ideas to Spice Up Your Gratin

• Spicy Mediterranean Zucchini Bake: Add red pepper flakes and chopped fresh chili peppers to the zucchini mixture for a hot kick. Swap Gruyère with spicy pepper jack cheese to enhance the heat profile.
• Herb Garden Zucchini Gratin: Replace thyme with a fresh herb blend of basil, oregano, and parsley. Use goat cheese instead of Gruyère for a tangy, creamy texture and lighter flavor.
• Rustic Vegetable Fusion Gratin: Incorporate sliced yellow squash, diced eggplant, and roasted bell peppers alongside zucchini. Mix in Italian seasoning and use a combination of Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses for a robust vegetable medley.
• Lean Green Protein Gratin: Add cooked quinoa or diced chicken breast to the zucchini mixture for additional protein. Sprinkle nutritional yeast on top instead of bread crumbs to create a healthier, protein-rich version.

End Notes on Zucchini Done Right

Provencal zucchini gratin emerges as culinary poetry, blending French countryside charm with Ina Garten’s signature elegance.

Garden-fresh zucchini meets creamy half-and-half in perfect harmony, creating Mediterranean magic on plate.

Gruyère cheese crowns this masterpiece with golden-brown complexity that whispers gourmet sophistication.

Delicate thyme and nutmeg dance through layers, elevating simple vegetables into extraordinary comfort.

Classic French techniques shine through each carefully crafted bite, promising memorable dining experience.

Grab your forks, share this recipe’s delightful story, comment with passion, and spread kitchen joy through social media channels – bon appétit!

Why Provencal Zucchini Gratin Tastes Like Summer

• Savor Rustic French Comfort: This gratin delivers classic Provencal flavors with incredible depth, transforming simple zucchini into a luxurious side dish that feels like a warm culinary hug from the French countryside.
• Master Effortless Elegance: The recipe requires minimal technical skills while producing a restaurant-quality result, making home cooks feel like professional chefs without complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
• Celebrate Seasonal Veggie Magic: Zucchini transforms from an ordinary vegetable into a creamy, cheesy delight that highlights summer's fresh produce with a sophisticated twist, perfect for garden-to-table enthusiasts who love maximizing seasonal ingredients.
• Create Versatile Crowd-Pleaser: This gratin works brilliantly as a side dish for dinner parties, family meals, or potlucks, offering a glorious combination of crispy bread crumbs, melted Gruyère, and tender zucchini that appeals to both vegetable lovers and comfort food fans.

Ingredients for a Lush Zucchini Gratin

Main Ingredients:

• Zucchini: Fresh, tender summer squash that provides the core texture and mild flavor of the gratin.
• Onion: Sweet base ingredient that adds depth and softness to the vegetable mixture.

• Half-and-Half: Creamy liquid that creates rich and smooth sauce consistency.
• Gruyère Cheese: Nutty Swiss cheese that melts beautifully and adds golden crispy topping.
• Butter: Provides rich flavor and helps with cooking and browning process.

• Flour: Thickens the sauce and helps bind ingredients together.
• Thyme: Aromatic herb that brings classic Provençal flavor profile.
• Salt and Pepper: Essential seasonings that enhance overall taste.
• Nutmeg: Warm spice that adds subtle depth to the creamy mixture.

• Bread Crumbs: Provides crispy texture and golden brown crust on top of the gratin.

Bake This French-Inspired Zucchini Dish

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Baking Dish

Warm up your oven to 220°C / 425°F. Generously coat an 8 × 10-inch oval gratin dish with butter, ensuring every corner gets some love.

Step 2: Sauté Onions and Zucchini

In a medium pot, melt butter over gentle heat. Add onions and let them dance until soft and translucent, about 10-15 minutes.

• Butter
• Onions
• Zucchini
• Salt

Toss in zucchini and sprinkle with salt. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until zucchini becomes tender but not mushy.

Step 3: Create a Creamy Base

Dust the vegetable mixture with flour, stirring gently. Crank up the heat and slowly pour in half-and-half, letting it bubble after each addition.

• Thyme
• Nutmeg
• Salt
• Pepper

Step 4: Assemble and Bake the Gratin

Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish, smoothing the top with a spatula. In a separate bowl, mix bread crumbs and Gruyère cheese. Sprinkle this golden mixture evenly over the zucchini. Dot the top with small butter cubes.

Slide into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until the surface turns golden and bubbly.

Step 5: Serve and Enjoy

Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes.

Ina Garten Provencal Zucchini Gratin Recipe

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4.6 from 9 reviews

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Ina Garten’s Provencal Zucchini Gratin elevates summer vegetables with French countryside charm. Fresh zucchini layered with herbs, cheese, and cream creates a mouthwatering side dish that brings Mediterranean flavors straight to your table.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Vegetables:

• 2.5 pounds small zucchini, sliced ½ inch thick crosswise
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced crosswise

Dairy and Cheese:

• 5 tablespoons (74 milliliters) unsalted butter, divided, plus extra for the dish
• 1 cup (237 milliliters) half-and-half
• 0.75 cup (84 grams) grated Gruyère cheese (2 ounces)

Seasonings and Dry Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.75 cup (60 grams) ground fresh bread crumbs from a boule, crusts removed
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Prepare the oven and baking vessel: Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Generously coat an 8 × 10-inch (20 x 25 cm) oval ceramic baking dish with unsalted butter to prevent sticking.
2. Sauté the aromatics: Melt of butter in a medium Dutch oven over gentle heat. Introduce chopped onions and cook slowly, stirring periodically, until they transform into a soft, translucent mixture without browning, approximately 10-15 minutes.
3. Incorporate zucchini: Add sliced zucchini to the onion base and season with of kosher salt. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, allowing vegetables to release their moisture and become tender.
4. Reduce and concentrate flavors: Uncover the vegetable mixture and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to evaporate excess liquid and intensify the vegetable’s natural sweetness.
5. Create creamy sauce: Dust the vegetable mixture with all-purpose flour, gently folding to distribute evenly. Incrementally pour half-and-half into the pot, raising the temperature to medium-high and stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
6. Season and enhance: Remove from heat and fold in fresh thyme leaves, ground nutmeg, an additional teaspoon of salt, and half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to elevate the dish’s complexity.
7. Assemble the gratin: Transfer the vegetable mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly to create a smooth surface.
8. Add crispy topping: Combine breadcrumbs and grated Gruyère cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture uniformly over the zucchini base. Dot the top with small cubes of remaining of butter to encourage golden browning.
9. Bake to perfection: Place the gratin in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, monitoring until the surface turns a rich, golden brown and the edges become delightfully bubbly.
10. Rest and serve: Allow the gratin to settle for 10 minutes after removing from the oven, which helps the sauce stabilize and flavors meld. Serve immediately while still warm for optimal taste and texture.

Notes

• Sitting time matters for perfect texture and flavor melding, allowing the gratin to settle and become more cohesive before serving.
• Slowly incorporate half-and-half to create a velvety, smooth sauce that coats the zucchini without becoming watery or thin.
• Maintain zucchini’s integrity by cooking just until tender, avoiding overcooking that leads to mushy, waterlogged results.
• Select young, small zucchini for optimal taste and moisture control, preventing excess liquid from ruining the dish’s consistency.
• Room temperature ingredients help blend flavors more effectively and ensure even cooking throughout the gratin.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving (based on 4 servings)
• Calories: 242 kcal
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 20mg
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Carbohydrates: 21g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 9g
• Cholesterol: 0mg