Ingredients

Vegetables

  • 3 medium zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds
  • 2 large tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
  • 1½ cups sweet corn — fresh or frozen
  • ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt, divided
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped, optional

Creamy binding mixture

  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk or heavy cream
  • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Crispy topping

  • ¾ cup breadcrumbs or panko
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Prepare the zucchini

Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

Slice the zucchini fairly thinly.

Put the zucchini in a large bowl and toss with about ½ tsp salt. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes.

This draws out excess moisture, which is important because zucchini releases quite a bit of water while baking.

Pat the slices thoroughly dry with paper towels.

2. Roast the zucchini

Spread the zucchini on a large baking sheet.

Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper and smoked paprika.

Roast for approximately 10 minutes, just until it begins to soften.

Don’t fully cook it yet.

3. Prepare the corn mixture

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add:

  • diced onion
  • garlic
  • corn

Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Season with:

  • ½ tsp Italian seasoning
  • a little black pepper
  • a pinch of salt

Remove from the heat.

4. Make the creamy mixture

In a bowl, whisk together:

  • 3 eggs
  • milk or cream
  • ½ cup Parmesan
  • mozzarella
  • flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Whisk until smooth.

The flour helps the egg mixture set and prevents the finished casserole from becoming too watery.

5. Assemble the casserole

Grease an 8 × 8-inch or 9 × 9-inch baking dish.

Arrange approximately half of the zucchini over the bottom.

Scatter over half of the corn/onion mixture.

Add some chopped parsley and basil.

Pour over about half of the egg-and-cheese mixture.

Then repeat:

zucchini → corn → herbs → egg mixture

Arrange the tomato slices over the top.

For the appearance in your photo, slightly overlap the tomato and zucchini slices rather than arranging everything completely flat.

6. Make the crispy Parmesan topping

Combine:

  • ¾ cup breadcrumbs/panko
  • ⅓ cup Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Italian seasoning
  • minced garlic
  • parsley

Mix with your fingers until the crumbs are lightly coated with oil.

Sprinkle over the tomatoes and vegetables.

For an especially golden crust, drizzle another 1 tsp olive oil over the top.

7. Bake

Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at:

375°F / 190°C for 25 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue baking for another:

15–25 minutes

until:

  • the center is set
  • the zucchini is tender
  • the tomatoes are roasted
  • the Parmesan topping is golden brown

If you want the deeply browned appearance in the photo, turn on the broiler/grill for 1–3 minutes at the end.

Watch it closely — the Parmesan can burn quickly.

8. Let it rest

This is important.

Remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for 10–15 minutes before cutting.

That allows the egg-and-cheese mixture to firm up so you can get those beautiful slices rather than a pile of vegetables.

Garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan.

⭐ For the look of the photo

The key is removing moisture. For an especially firm, layered casserole:

  1. Salt the zucchini and pat it dry.
  2. Don’t use watery canned corn.
  3. Pat the tomato slices dry before assembling.
  4. Don’t add too much milk.
  5. Let the finished casserole rest before slicing.
  6. Use panko + Parmesan on top for that browned, crunchy surface.

Optional additions

You can make it even more flavorful with:

  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes for heat
  • ½ cup ricotta for a richer filling
  • ½ cup cooked quinoa for a heartier version
  • crumbled feta instead of some of the Parmesan
  • fresh basil between the layers
  • a little mozzarella on top

One note: I can identify the ingredients and construction from the photo, but the image alone can’t establish the exact original recipe. The recipe above is a close reconstruction of what the pictured dish appears to be.