This is really more of an idea than a strict recipe – something to do on a weeknight to use that extra squash. I made a small batch for just the two of us, but you could easily scale this up. For these roasted vegetables — where I want an almost ratatouille-like result (moist, not dry) — I use a shallow casserole dish rather than a sheet pan. That way the moisture of the vegetables will help the veggies soften, and the juices from the roasting tomatoes will flavor everything. Do cut your squash in cubes – not slices – so that they will maintain some integrity when roasted. Choose pattypan or very young zucchini (or gold summer squash) for the densest flesh.

Serves 2 as a side dish or 1 as a main with pasta or grains

• 1 ½ cups (about 6 ounces) cubed (about ¾-inch) pattypan squash or young green or gold zucchini
• 1 cup (about 4 to 5 ounces) grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved 1/3 cup sliced spring onions or fat scallions, sliced crosswise into ½-inch pieces (white parts only – save the green tops for other veg dishes, eggs, or rice)
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic ¼ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons coarsely grated Parmigiano (I like to chop mine into “pebbles” in a mini-food processor)
• 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh basil leaves

1. Heat the oven to 400ºF. In a mixing bowl, combine the squash, tomatoes, onions, thyme, salt, and olive oil. Toss and mix gently and transfer to a 1 ½-quart shallow baking dish.

2. Cook for 30 minutes, gently stir with a silicone spatula, and continue cooking for 12 to 15 more minutes, or until the squash pieces are shrunken and have some browning on them. The tomatoes will be very shrunken and some of the juices will be browning on the sides of the pan.

3. Remove the pan from the oven, thoroughly stir in the garlic, and pop the pan back in the oven just for a minute or so to let the heat soften the garlic a bit.

4. Sprinkle the veg with the balsamic vinegar and stir. Add half of the basil and half of the Parmigiano, stir, and transfer to a small serving bowl or to dinner plates. Garnish with the remaining cheese and basil.