Layered Tertiary Vegetable Gratin with Quinary Herb Crust

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-08 · Updated 2026-05-08

A baked vegetable gratin featuring four distinct layers of seasonal vegetables topped with a fragrant herb crust made from five fresh herbs. This Mediterranean-inspired summer cookout recipe, ready in about 60 minutes, pairs zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 180 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 medium, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds zucchini
• 1 medium, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds eggplant
• 1 medium, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds yellow squash
• 3 medium, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp, finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp, finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbsp, finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp, finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp, finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

The 9x13 baking dish we’d bake this in → Best Bakeware for 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp olive oil and 3 minced garlic cloves and brush both sides of each vegetable slice (1 zucchini, 1 eggplant, 1 yellow squash, 3 tomatoes) evenly.
2. Step 2: Arrange the vegetable slices in a deep baking dish in four layered tiers: zucchini on bottom, eggplant next, then yellow squash, and tomatoes on top, lightly seasoning each layer with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper scattered evenly.
3. Step 3: In another bowl, mix 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and the combined 1 tbsp each of finely chopped fresh parsley, basil, thyme, oregano, and rosemary to create a quinary herb crust.
4. Step 4: Sprinkle the herb and breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top tomato layer.
5. Step 5: Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes at 375°F until the vegetables are tender and the crust is golden brown and fragrant.