A creamy bake that’s only 250 calories per serving (as a main!). The proper (fancy) name of this dish is Tian de Courgettes au Riz and it is a Julia Child recipe. It is like a cross between a gratin and risotto. Naturally healthy with no butter or cream, fabulous to serve as a side or main, and can also be prepared ahead.
**Directions to veganise this included**
My cooking revolves around what’s in season and what’s on special. On this occasion, you guessed it, my local supermarket obviously had an overstock of zucchini because they were on special at $2.40/kg (2 lb) (normally they’re $6 to $8/kg). So I bought 2 kg (that’s 4 pounds!). I couldn’t help myself – zucchini’s are so versatile, I was sure I would use them up in a week.
Hmm, I didn’t quite realise how much space 2 kg of zucchinis would take up in my fridge. So I went in hunt of a recipe that would use a lot of zucchinis and that’s when I came across Julie Child’s Tian de Courgettes au Riz (Zucchini Tian).
A “tian” is a a type of baking dish that is shallow and also describes the name of the dish that is cooked in it. It is like a gratin except the vegetables are cooked in their own juices. There were a few things that caught my eye about this recipe.
1. ALOT of zucchini – It calls for 1kg/2lb of zucchini, grated. That’s ALOT of zucchini. You wouldn’t guess there’s that much in it by looking at the photo;
2. Zucchini Juice – The cooking liquid uses the juices that sweat / are squeezed out of the zucchini. I thought that was an interesting and thrifty technique and I was curious how well it would work;
3. “Risotto Like” A lot of people enthusiastically wrote about how “risotto like” this dish was. But it only required 1/2 cup of rice (for 4 servings). “Ke? How is that possible?” I wondered. “Are people just saying nice things because it’s a Julia Child recipe?”; and
4. High Liquid to Rice Ratio – the other thing that made me really dubious was the liquid to rice ratio. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of liquid (zucchini juice + milk) for 1/2 cup of rice. Using standard ratios, 1/2 rice would require 3/4 cup of water to cook. I was convinced this dish would turn out soggy with overcooked gluggy rice.
Once I made it, yet again I was reminded that you should always trust the Great Julia Child. The dish worked brilliantly. It IS risotto like – I was truly amazed how far you can stretch 1/2 cup of rice. This is partly because you use more liquid than you normally do to cook rice which makes the grains swell more. And it wasn’t soggy at all. The consistency is like a gratin – as you can see in the photo when you serve it up, it holds its shape, it isn’t gooey.
The grated zucchini makes the dish seem creamy. And the zucchini juices gives the dish a subtle zucchini fragrance that you wouldn’t otherwise get if you made it using stock, or if you sauté the zucchini to remove the liquid.
The most amazing thing about this is how healthy it is. This recipe is enough for 4 generous servings and only has 250 calories per serving. This is how you get your risotto fix guilt free!
Sorry Julia, for doubting you. You are yet to let me down. 🙂
More zucchini recipes
-
Healthy Cream of Vegetable Soup (Zucchinis are the secret ingredient for ultra low cal creamy white soup!)
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Zucchini Tian (Naturally Healthy)
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lb) zucchini
- 1 brown onion , finely diced (1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 2 1/2 cups warm liquid: zucchini juices plus milk , heated in a pan (see directions)
- 2/3 cups parmesan cheese , grated
- 1/2 cup medium grain white rice , uncooked (Note 6)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the Zucchini
- Grate the zucchini and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tsp salt and use your hands to mix through well.
- Place zucchini in a colander over a bowl to collect the juices that sweat out. Leave for at least 20 minutes.
- Squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini, straining the liquid through the colander to add to the zucchini juices collected.
- Rinse the zucchini under cold water for 15 seconds, then squeeze out excess water, but this time do not save the water that is squeezed out.
- Pat the zucchini with paper towels to mostly dry.
To Prepare Gratin
- Top up the zucchini juices with milk to make a total of 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Warm liquid in microwave or on the stove.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy base pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 8 minutes until translucent and starting to turn golden.
- Turn heat up to medium high, add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat. Add all but 2 tbsp of the parmesan cheese and stir quickly to combine.
- Do a taste test to check for seasoning. Add more salt if desired, and a good grind of black pepper. I do not add more salt as I don't think it is required.
- Add rice and liquid. If making ahead, stop here, then proceed with the next step on the day of serving.
To Bake
- Preheat oven to 220C/425F
- Return pan to heat and bring to simmer.
- If the pan you are using is not ovenproof, pour the contents into a buttered baking dish.
- Sprinkle over the remaining 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese and drizzle over the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Cover with lid or foil, then place in the top 1/3 of the oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the lid/foil and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the top is golden and the liquid appears to have been absorbed. (Tilt the dish slightly. If liquid pools then return to the oven for 5 minutes at a time.)
- Rest for 10 minutes. While resting, any residual liquid will be absorbed.
- Best served immediately.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Can you freeze this recipe and then reheat slowly?
This was lovely, so moreish! I had some zucchinis threatening to go off in my crisper and tried this. Thought it would possibly be a bit bland but it is certainly not.
I have used this recipe I’m the past and love! However, I made it last night and the step to blanch the rice is missing, so my rice was very undercooked.
I don’t blanch my rice for this one Christina. If you used a different brand of rice than previously then it can affect the cooking time. N x
I had so many zucchini’s given to me during the summer so I shredded them and froze them in 2# packages so I could keep making this amazing recipe throughout the winter. It’s a recipe that doesn’t look like it would be good but let me tell you…it’s so delicious! Thanks so much!
That is the best way to eat – fresh from the garden! And you get to enjoy it all year! N x
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Any chance I could substitute mozzarella? A hard cheese makes more sense but I can’t get such cheeses where I live.
Hi Nagi,
Want to say thankyou so much for all your work to put such a great website together! I’ve used quite a few recipes from your website and its been gold during this Sydney lockdown!!! They’ve been yummy and this one was delicious. Yay Julia Childs.
If it’s not too much trouble, I was wondering if you could make a note to remind us to adjust ingredient quantities in the method section?? I’ve often adjusted the quantities in the ingredient section, but have twice forgotten to adjust when I’m following the steps. Thanks! We’re grateful for your yummy recipes 😊😊
Have made this tian a few times. Absolutely great recipe and our fav in our house
Best thing I ever made with courgettes! It was rich, sumptuous and tasty. Even my teenage daughter who hates courgettes loved it and came back for seconds.
I accidentally used basmati rice (a particularly delicate one with long, thin grains) and it still turned out perfect.
Hi Nagi,
Making this tomorrow can you tell me the size of the dish you baked it in
Thank you for your recipes regards Patricia
Delicious 😋
Excited to make this one as a side dish – what protein would you serve with it Nagi? Any recipes of yours?
Made this tonight along with some chicken tenders and tomatoes. Super simple sides as the zucchini tian was definitely the star of the show!
I LOVE this recipe. I have been cooking this recipe for years now, it’s how I originally stumbled across your website so I thought it high time I left a review. Yes it’s relatively fiddly and labour intensive, but for something this healthy and delicious it’s sooo worth it! I change nothing in the recipe, it’s 100% perfect as it’s written.
I even make room in my veggie patch to grow zucchini now so I can make bucketloads of it 🙂
Absolutely fantastic recipe, although I did go against your advice and used paella rice as had some left over. Either way, this was a huge hit. Thank you!
How do you think you’d modify the cook time to make in ramekins? I’d like to make half vegan/half cheesy 🙂
Hi Nagi, I have made many of your recipes which have really enjoyed. I am keen to make the tian for my vegan mother and is there an alternative to the rice you could suggest? Thank you x
You could use the tiny rice-like pasta called orzo
Thank you Susie, I will try this as she cannot eat rice due having diverticulitis x
How did it turn out?! I love orzo 🙂
Sorry you need the rice for this one Sarah! N x
Nagi this is PERFECT and your are AMAZING that is all 🙂
Unbelievable. Nagi, you are my current day Julia Child. I thought this recipe was totally bizarre and frankly, sounded watery and gross… but I trusted you completely. I’ll admit I did add a little bacon, but aside from that extra salty hit, this was so tasty… and I can’t figure out why! I grilled some pork to have with it, but totally not needed. Next time I’ll keep the bacon and have the tian just on its own… But a bigger portion.
i made your prosciutto wrapped chicken and plopped it on top of the tian before putting it into a 350 oven for about 35mins and it turned out amazing! I would absolutely make this again!
Sounds great Kimmie!! N x
Nagi, this was so delicious. I’m eating it as I type this, I couldn’t wait to thank you for the recipe! So, so good!! And healthy too!
Thanks so much Elena, that’s so great to hear!! N x
Delicious!! Great way to use up excess zucchinis.
I made this to take to work for lunch… still tastes great when re-heated.
Yes definitely Sarah! – N x