Quick oven-browned zucchini with parmesan cheese

A few weeks back, I posted a recipe for zucchini spears roasted in the oven with olive oil, herbs, and parmesan cheese. Yesterday, I had a couple of zucchinis to cook — they are still coming — but I was in a hurry and decided to do something more rustic and less fussy with them, on the same theme.

Just out of the oven and ready to serve

First I cut the zukes into spears. Then I just cut the spears into chunks — you could do slices — and tossed them in a big bowl with enough olive oil to coat them, and then with some salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and dried thyme.

Ready for the oven

I spooned them out on a rack in a baking pan, so that they would cook on all sides and not be bathing in oil. I sprinkled a liberal amount — probably half a cup — of grated parmesan cheese over the zucchini chunks and set the pan in a hot oven. (Note to self: this would be good with a grated, very dry, hard goat cheese.)

After 20 to 30 minutes, the zucchini was cooked to a golden brown color. I was glad to see that the pieces didn't stick to the baking rack. They were delicious alongside half a small chicken grilled with a dry chili-powder rub. I served the roasted zucchini pieces in the same bowl in which I had tossed them with the oil before cooking them.