Author Notes
This was a staple in my Italian grandmother's summer kitchen. It's so easy that my mother, who didn't really cook, mastered it. I've made it for as long as I can remember—and I like it so much that I usually make it when the first zucchini appears. It has the added benefit of being a fresh way to use some of those thousands of zucchini that seem to turn up every year. —Antonia AT
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
1
medium onion
-
2
cloves garlic
-
3
8-inch zucchini
-
5
large Roma tomatoes
-
3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
-
2 tablespoons
kosher salt
-
scant handfuls
any single fresh herb—basil, oregano, thyme, dill (rosemary's a bit too strong)
-
to taste
salt and pepper
-
1-2 per person
eggs
Directions
-
Slice vegetables 1/4-inch thick. Smash and roughly mince garlic cloves.
-
Toss zucchini with salt in a colander and allow to drain.
-
In the meantime, heat olive oil over a medium-low flame in a non-reactive 3-5 quart shallow pot. Cook onion and garlic until transparent. Add tomatoes.
-
Rinse zucchini, add to pot and cover with lid. Turn heat down to low and simmer at least 20 minutes. (I've let it cook as long as 2 hours and it's still been super.)
-
Mince herbs and stir into zucchini mixture. Grind in salt and pepper to taste.
-
Gently slide 1 or 2 eggs per serving into the stew and poach.
-
Use a large ladle—to insure the egg yolks don't break—to serve in soup bowls. (I use an old 1-cup hammered steel ladle that I bought about 40 years ago in a Chinese grocery.)
-
Serve with crusty bread.
-
NOTE: To make this a vegan entree, substitute 1/2-inch cubes of tofu (I use soft) for the eggs.
See what other Food52ers are saying.