A gratin is any dish topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated until browned—but it needn't be heavy. This one has plenty of garden-fresh tomatoes and herbs, a touch of full-flavored cheese and a crispy crumb topping.
Ingredients:
4 slices whole-grain bread, torn into quarters
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup finely shredded pecorino romano, or parmesan cheese
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
Place 4 slices of bread in a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon oil and 1/3 cup cheese; pulse to combine. Spread the seasoned breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and bake until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, layer 4 tomato slices in the prepared baking dish, sprinkling each layer with 1/4 cup basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake the tomatoes for 10 minutes; sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs, and bake for 10 minutes more. Serve immediately.
