Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for baking dish
- 1 pound zucchini
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- Sea salt, preferably gray salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 1/2 cups tomato puree, recipe follows
- 4 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- About 1 cup fine dried bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
Place potatoes into a glass bowl, coat lightly with about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix to coat.
Trim the ends of the zucchini, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Put in a separate bowl. Top with 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a deep 2 1/2 to 3-quart baking dish (about 9 by 12 inches). Then place about 1/4 cup of tomato puree and spread out to coat the bottom of the pan.
In zucchini and potato bowls, add 2 tablespoons of garlic each and mix in well with a rubber spatula. Using the potatoes and zucchinis, make a layer in the prepared baking dish, alternating between the potato and zucchini, filling in any gaps with small pieces. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato puree on top, then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs. Top with some of the basil. Repeat the layering of the vegetables, tomato puree, Parmesan, bread crumbs and basil using all the vegetables. Cover the top with the remaining bread crumbs and Parmesan.
Bake, uncovered, for about 1/2 an hour, then cover for the next 45 minutes of baking, finally uncovering for the last 15 minutes, until tender and bubbling, about 1 1/2 hours total cooking time. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature to allow the dish to settle and deepen in flavor.
Tiella may be served hot, warm, or at room temperature. Reheat in a low oven, if desired. To serve, cut into squares and carefully lift out of the pan with a spatula.
Tomato Puree:
- 20 tomatoes, core removed
Bring 2 large pots of water to a boil. Lower the tomatoes into the water, blanch for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Place blanched tomatoes on a baking sheet, and peel the loosened skins. With a colander over a bowl, squeeze the seeds and innards out of each tomato. Set aside and refrigerate the clear strained liquid for other uses. Slice the peeled tomatoes into 1-inch chunks, and place chunks into blender. Puree thoroughly. Pour into bowl.
Yield: 10 to 12 cups











Review This Recipe
You must be logged in to review this recipe.
or Sign Up to Review
Newest Ratings and Reviews
Read all 21 reviews
By Kpscookies
on February 26, 2013
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
I ordered this dish at Michael's Napa Valley restaurant Bottega, it was divine! We were excited to find the recipe online and went to work making it for dinner tonight. The result was very flavorful, just as I remembered at Bottega. The only difference was that Bottega's version sliced their potatoes and zucchini about 1/8 of an inch thick, not 1/4 inch thick as instructed in this recipe. Even at 1/4 inch thick, both the potatoes and zucchini cooked up tender. I will make this recipe again exactly as written except I will slice my potatoes and zucchini 1/8 inch thick on my mandolin. I can't imagine making this recipe without the advantage of a mandolin as there is quite a bit of thin slicing needed. I would recommend this recipe as it is delicious and has so many flavors going on.
By jeg722_13117012
Philadelphia, 78
on September 01, 2010
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
I just made this dish tonight and it was soo easy! Just make sure you're cutting the potatoes thin so they cook easy and you can definitely use spaghetti sauce instead of making the puree(I used Robusto from Prego... its really simple to make and yummy : the only bad thing is the it seems like forever for it to cook but it is soo worth it.
By didereaux11712680
Beverly Hills, CA
on January 18, 2010
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
This recipe is as close to a tiella from Gaeta as a hotdog is to a filet of salmon! A tiella is a covered deep dish pie, a first cousin of the deep dish pizza. Made like a pie with pizza dough top and bottom and baked, cooled and eaten with the hands. At times I think Chiarello was adopted and his biological parents were English!
Read all 21 reviews