Tomato Mozzarella Oven Gratin with Garlic and Basil
Thick tomato slices and mozzarella baked under a garlic and basil olive oil until the cheese bubbles and the edges brown. A savory, high-protein bake straight from the oven.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 25 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Seasoning in layers
- Savory
- Standard
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Slice the tomatoes into 1 cm rounds and the mozzarella into 1 cm slices. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Tear 6 basil leaves into small pieces.
~8 min
Uniform 1 cm slices cook at the same rate, so tomatoes and mozzarella finish together without one turning to mush.
-
Mix the chopped garlic with 2 tbsp olive oil, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper in a small bowl.
~2 min
Mixing the garlic into the oil before baking infuses the fat with flavor and distributes seasoning evenly across the dish.
For a deeper garlic flavor, let the chopped garlic sit in the olive oil for a few minutes before spooning it over the tomatoes.
Seasoning in layers Season each layer as you build rather than only at the end, so salt reaches every bite; taste the oil first to avoid over-salting.
-
Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer in the baking dish. Scatter the torn basil over them and spoon over half the garlic oil.
~3 min
A single layer lets moisture evaporate instead of steaming, so the tomatoes roast and brown rather than turn watery.
Salting the tomatoes in the garlic oil draws out moisture, so the gratin browns instead of turning watery.
Seasoning in layers Season each layer as you build rather than only at the end, so salt reaches every bite; taste the oil first to avoid over-salting.
-
Lay the mozzarella slices over the tomatoes, overlapping slightly. Spoon the remaining garlic oil on top.
~2 min
Overlapping the mozzarella creates a continuous blanket that traps steam and melts into an even, bubbling crust.
Seasoning in layers Season each layer as you build rather than only at the end, so salt reaches every bite; taste the oil first to avoid over-salting.
-
Bake until the mozzarella is melted and bubbling and the tomato edges are browned, 18 to 20 minutes.
~20 min
High heat melts the cheese while browning the tomato edges, and the bubbling signals the water has cooked off.
Roasting Roast uncovered at high heat so surface moisture evaporates and edges brown; if the cheese browns before the tomatoes soften, tent with foil.
-
While step 5 cooks
While the gratin bakes, tear the bread slice into coarse crumbs and tear the remaining 2 basil leaves.
~2 min
-
Scatter the bread crumbs and torn basil over the hot gratin and let it stand 5 minutes before serving.
~5 min
The 5-minute rest lets the molten cheese set slightly so portions hold together instead of sliding apart.