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Seared Zucchini with Pita and Olives

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • Four 8-inch pitas
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 or 4 medium zucchini (1 1/2 pounds)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 large (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes or 6 ripe roma (plum) tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup green or black olives
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Put the pitas on a rimmed baking sheet, brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and put in the oven (it’s okay that it isn’t heated yet). Bake, turning once, until crisp, about 15 minutes.
  2. Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Trim the zucchini and cut it into coins about 3/4 inch thick.
  4. When the oil is hot, put the zucchini in the skillet in a single layer, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed until browned on the bottom and just softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate and repeat with the remaining zucchini.
  5. Peel and chop 2 cloves garlic.
    If you’re using fresh tomatoes, core and chop them.
  6. When all the zucchini are cooked and out of the skillet, add the garlic and tomatoes (with the juice from the can). Cook, stirring occasionally with a spatula to break up the canned tomatoes, until the liquid comes to a boil. Return the zucchini to the skillet, reduce the heat to a steady bubble, and cook, stirring once or twice, until the stew thickens, about 5 minutes.
  7. Pit 1/2 cup olives if necessary.
    Chop 1/2 cup parsley leaves.
  8. When the pitas are ready, add the olives to the skillet and stir. Then break or tear in the pita, and turn off the heat. Toss to combine, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast