To rid the large amount of zucchini in our Greek egg casserole of its moisture, we grate, salt, and then sauté it.
Greek-Style Zucchini and Egg Casserole
SERVES 6 to 8 FAST VEG
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Traditional Greek sfougato is an appealing, vegetable-centric baked egg dish with a texture somewhere between a light-as-air soufflé and a hearty frittata. Rather than consisting mostly of egg with a smattering of fillings, as a frittata would be, sfougato tends to be the opposite, with fewer eggs and a generous amount of zucchini, feta, and sometimes a small amount of ground beef. For our recipe, we opted to leave out the meat and focus on the clean zucchini flavor. To ensure that the casserole was pleasantly light and not dense, we mixed some milk into the eggs to keep them tender. We prevented the zucchini from releasing too much moisture and making our casserole soggy by grating it, salting it, and then wringing it dry in a clean dish towel. A brief sauté finished the job, and we took advantage of the hot pan to tame the harsh rawness of the garlic and scallions. Slightly sweet dill and zesty oregano, common additions to many recipes, complemented the bright, briny feta and the vegetal zucchini. This dish would pair nicely with a salad as a light lunch or brunch or with roasted potatoes and sausage for a heartier meal. Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the zucchini.
4 zucchini, shredded
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 scallions, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 large eggs
¼ cup whole milk
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
¼ cup minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon salt and let drain in fine-mesh strainer for 10 minutes. Wrap zucchini in clean dish towel, squeeze out excess liquid, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add scallions and garlic and cook until scallions are softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini, cover, and cook until zucchini has released its liquid, 4 to 6 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until zucchini is dry, about 1 minute; let cool slightly.
3. Beat eggs, milk, and ½ teaspoon pepper together with fork in bowl until thoroughly combined and mixture is pure yellow; do not overbeat. Stir in zucchini mixture, feta, dill, and oregano until combined. Transfer mixture to greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish and bake until eggs are just set and edges are beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
