Eggplant and Yellow Squash Casserole a la Mama

Mama D's recipes are the source of most of my Italian-American cookery. She knew her stuff. I've added a few twists to her recipes - increased the seasonings, eliminate or reduce the salt, and reduce the oil. This is a dish that enjoyed the tweakery.

Eggplant and Yellow Squash Casserole a la Mama

nutrition facts

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, hold off on slicing this til just before layering with the rest of the ingredients.

3 yellow summer squash (prepared as instructed below)

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tomatoes, chopped or crushed

1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper

1/2 t dried oregano

4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 T olive oil

The Mindful Prep Stuff:

Slice of the top and bottom of the summer squash. Then slice vertically so you have long thin strips. Slice the onion, and prep the tomatoes. Put each either in a bowl or on a plate so they are ready when you need them.  Measure the seasonings and put in a small bowl - I love to use those little bitty custard Pyrex cups as a seasoning holding bin. Shred or grate the cheeses. Now you may pare and slice the eggplant to about 1/4 inch slices. Cover with a towel to minimize contact with air as that can make the eggplant bitter.

What do do next:

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Spray Pam on a baking dish. An 11x9 would be fine or a square casserole, it all depends on the size of your eggplant. A large eggplant would require the larger casserole, a small or medium one would make the dish just fine for the smaller square casserole.

Build layers in this way: Eggplant, onion, squash. Cover with the crushed tomatoes. Sprinkle with seasonings. Sprinkle lightly with both cheeses. Repeat until the dish is about 3/4 full. Drizzle the olive oil on top of the whole. Then top with the last of the cheese.

Cover and bake for about 50 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 10 minutes or until the cheese is browning and the veggies tender.