OVEN-ROASTED ZUCCHINI

Oven-Roasted Zucchini image

Provided by Bryant Terry

Yield Makes 4 servings; 1 cup pesto

Number Of Ingredients 15

For the collard-peanut pesto
2 cups loosely packed stemmed, chopped collard leaves
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons white miso paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more as needed
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the oven-roasted zucchini
4 medium zucchini (about 11/2 pounds total), cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Steps:

Make the pesto
In a food processor, combine the collards, peanuts, miso, and garlic and blend until it forms a chunky paste. While the food processor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil through the feed tube, adding more if needed to reach your desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice to taste. Set aside.
Make the zucchini
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini with the olive oil and salt, then spread the zucchini over the baking sheet in one even layer. Roast until the zucchini is brown around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes. To serve, transfer the zucchini to a bowl and give it a few turns of pepper. Next, drop in a few heaping dollops of pesto so that people can scoop as much as they'd like when serving themselves, adding more pesto to the bowl as needed. Pile the peanuts in a small serving bowl and present alongside the zucchini.
For any leftover pesto, pour a thin layer of olive oil over it, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.