Note that the ingredients here are something of a hodgepodge: potato and sweet potato, zucchini and carrot, onion and bell pepper. That’s because this is a pretty loose recipe, and you should feel free to substitute whatever you prefer. Just be sure to cut any vegetables to roughly the same size, to ensure that they’re all fully cooked—but not overcooked—at the same time.

　　

Ingredients

6 side-dish servings

　　1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

　　1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

　　2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

　　1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

　　4 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings

　　1 large zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

　　2 large ripe tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　2 tablespoons Italian-style dried bread crumbs

　　Sprigs of fresh basil, for garnish

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a 13 X 9 X 2-inch glass baking dish, toss the potato, sweet potato, carrots, bell pepper, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 3/4 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Arrange the onion evenly on top, then top with the zucchini. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Arrange the tomato slices over the zucchini. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, stir the Parmesan and bread crumbs to blend and sprinkle over the vegetables. Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and the topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs and serve.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.