Hasselback Zucchini

A different take on hasselback potatoes, Hannah Kaminsky does it again with Hasselback Zuchini out of her new book, Real Food, Really Fast. After cooking these, I inhaled them like there was no tomorrow. The mixture of garlic, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and salt smeared over zucchini with olive oil makes a fantastic side or main dish after just a few minutes of cooking. I will, however, add that even though the recipe below states to cook for 2 minutes without foil, I felt I needed to cook them for 12 minutes more to really cook them through. Just keep checking them. Also, the recipe calls for dried thyme and rosemary, but fresh is even better. Enjoy!

Hasselback Zucchini
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds of zucchini
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 500-degrees Fahrenheit.

Properly prepping the zucchini is essential for success here, so be careful when cutting. You don't want to go all the way through the vegetables, but just about 3/4 of the way, at regularly spaced intervals of just a few millimeters. Exact measurements aren't critical as long as you're consistent. For those less confident with their knife skills, try placing thin skewers or dowels on either side of the zucchini to prevent the blade from going all the way down to the cutting board.

Place the zucchini on a lightly greased baking sheet and drizzle liberally with oil. Combine garlic, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and salt together and smear this mixture all over, pushing it in between the cut layers and all over the sides. cover loosely with foil and slide the pan into the hot oven.

Lift the foil after about 6 minutes to check on their progress. The zucchini should be just about fork-tender. Bake for an additional 2 minutes or so, uncovered, until lightly browned. Serve warm.