Ingredients

2 pounds summer squash

　　1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　3/4 cup sliced shallots

　　1 teaspoon minced garlic

　　1 tablespoon thyme leaves

　　1/2 cup salsa verde (see page 132)

　　1 cup grated Gruyère cheese

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

Cut the squash into 1/8-inch-thick slices. If you’re using long zucchini-type summer squash, slice them on the diagonal. Toss the slices in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and let sit 10 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl.

　　

Step 4

Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Swirl in the butter and cook a few minutes, until it browns and smells nutty. Pour the brown butter over the breadcrumbs (being sure to scrape all the brown bits into the bowl with a rubber spatula). Wait a minute or so for the butter to cool, and toss well.

　　

Step 5

Drain the squash and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add the shallots, minced garlic, thyme, 1/2 cup salsa verde, and some pepper. Toss to combine, and add the cheese and half the butter-coated breadcrumbs. Toss again, and taste for seasoning. (The raw garlic will taste strong at this point but will be delicious when cooked.)

　　

Step 6

Place the squash in a pretty 9-by-9-inch (or equivalent) gratin dish. Scatter the remaining breadcrumbs over the top, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the squash is tender and the top is crisp.

　　Sunday Suppers at Lucques[by Suzanne Goin with Teri Gelber. Copyright © 2005 by Suzanne Goin. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved..Suzanne Goin graduated from Brown University. She was named Best Creative Chef by Boston magazine in 1994, one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine in 1999, and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She and her business partner, Caroline Styne, also run the restaurant A.O.C. in Los Angeles, where Goin lives with her husband, David Lentz.Teri Gelber is a food writer and public-radio producer living in Los Angeles.](http://astore.amazon.com/epistore-20/detail/1400042151)