When I see what is circulating on social media and what generates the most views and clicks, it’s not recipes like this.  There isn’t a massive cheese pull or 20 ingredients + 2 sauces. This is just simple, pure food but still flavorful and satisfying.  I love any kind of layered casserole.  It’s not complicated to make, but it’s still impressive enough to serve to guests.  My husband ate this recently and (as usual) said, “Wow!  This is actually really delicious!”  Moral of this story is don’t sleep on these simple, but wonderful recipes!

Why you’ll love this summer squash and potato torte recipe

• so creamy, it melts in your mouth; 
• just requires slicing and assembling 

Ingredients 

• Scallions – are milder than regular onions. If the recipe doesn’t indicate to use only the white or green part, it means you use the entire scallion. 
• Parmesan – I’m not a heavy cheese person, but a little adds a nice creaminess and saltiness to this recipe. You could use pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese) or even another type of grated or shredded cheese. To make dairy-free, you can use vegan parmesan, nutritional yeast, or omit. 
• Flour – I used all-purpose flour, but you can use any flour. The flour helps thicken the juices from the squash and potatoes.  
• Garlic powder – I like using garlic powder as opposed to fresh garlic when I want a subtle garlic flavor.
• Crushed red pepper – adds a nice kick without being spicy. 
• Thyme – I love using fresh herbs in this recipe. If you ever want to use dried herbs in place of fresh, remember to use a third of the amount of fresh herbs that it calls for in the recipe. For instance, if a recipe calls for 1 Tbsp of fresh herbs, use 1 tsp of dried. 
• Summer squash – I used yellow squash. Zucchini works here too! 
• Potatoes – I prefer Yukon gold potatoes. I find them to be creamier than russet potatoes. No need to peel them for this recipe. 

How to make summer squash and potato torte

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees.
2. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or deep baking dish with olive oil.
3. Reserve ¼ cup of sliced green onions for garnish. In a medium bowl, combine remaining green onions, cheese, flour, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, herbs, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
4. Using a knife or mandolin, thinly slice the squash into ⅛ inch thick slices. On a Breville food processor, set the slicing disk to 2 ⅓. Transfer squash slices to a medium bowl. Repeat with potatoes and slice into ⅛ inch thick slices. If using a food processor, no need to wash in between uses. Transfer potato slices to a large bowl.
5. Arrange one even layer of potatoes in a circular manner in the bottom of the prepared skillet, slightly overlapping. Be careful not to overlap too much or you won’t have enough slices for all of your layers. Arrange a layer of zucchini over the potatoes, following the same concentric pattern, slightly overlapping. Lightly brush the zucchini slices with olive oil. Spread one third of the cheese mixture evenly over the zucchini. Arrange another layer of potatoes and zucchini layer, brush with olive oil and spread half of the remaining mixture. Repeat with another layer of potato, zucchini layer, brush with oil and remaining cheese mixture. Arrange the final layer of potato slices. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. You will be able to create 4 layers of potatoes and 3 layers of zucchini.
6. Cover skillet or baking dish with a sheet of unbleached parchment paper and then foil. Bake until potatoes are almost tender, about 40-50 minutes. Remove foil and parchment, bake uncovered until torte begins to brown and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
7. Cut torte into wedges. Garnish with reserved green onions and serve.

Tips 

• Look for large potatoes for this recipe as opposed to baby potatoes. Larger potatoes will give you wider slices that will make assembling so much easier. Using a mandolin or slicing disk (if your food processor has one) will make this recipe a breeze. 
• You can broil the torte at the end for a few seconds if the top is not entirely golden.
• If you prep the potatoes in advance, I recommend submerging them in water so they don’t oxidize.  

Substitutions 

• Summer squash – zucchini 
• Flour – any flour you like
• Parmesan – pecorino, a different grated/shredded cheese, vegan parmesan, nutritional yeast, or omit
• Thyme – basil 

Other recipes you may like 

*Layered summer vegetable torte

*Roasted summer vegetable tian

*Herbed hasselback sweet potatoes 

*Roasted baby potatoes with broccoli and cheese

*Pasta with melted zucchini sauce 

If you give this summer squash and potato torte recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review! Subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes,  updates and things I’m loving lately.  If you enjoy this recipe, I taught it two years ago in my online class!  Give me an hour a month, and I’ll make you a better, healthier cook!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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