By Melissa Clark, The New York Times
Some sheet-pan meals are so simple you could almost cook them in your sleep. Throw some chicken legs and sturdy root vegetables on a pan, sprinkle with salt and maybe herbs or spices, then drizzle with oil and stick it all in a hot oven. About 40 minutes later, the dark meat is reliably juicy, the vegetables golden and bathed in rendered chicken fat, and both take about the same amount of time. It’s an adaptable meal that would be hard to get wrong.
Others take more finesse. This combination of shrimp and zucchini is one of them.
I could just picture it, a pan full of golden-edged, green-skinned zucchini dotted with crescents of tender, coral-hued shrimp and seasoned liberally with za’atar and lemon zest. A garlicky, creamy yogurt sauce spiked with even more za’atar would add a tangy, zippy flourish right at the end.
But first, I had to work out the timing of shellfish versus the vegetables.
The sticking point is that, unlike forgiving chicken legs and roots, which have a relatively wide window of doneness, shrimp and zucchini can be finicky. Leave shrimp in the oven for even a minute too long, and they will go from succulent and plump to rubber ball bouncy. Zucchini, on the other hand, with its high moisture content, needs plenty of roasting time for the juices to condense, then caramelize. How to get them to cook on the same sheet pan in the easiest possible way?
In my first round of testing, I started with the zucchini in the oven, letting it roast until sufficiently browned, which takes about 35 minutes. Then, I added the shrimp for another couple of minutes. This worked pretty well, but not consistently enough. Sometimes the shrimp at the edges of the pan had curled and toughened by the time the ones in the middle cooked through.
Switching to the broiler after adding the shrimp made all the difference. The heat from above seared them quickly and evenly until they were all perfectly cooked, and it also amped up the golden color of the zucchini, making it richer and more intense. It was well worth the extra step.
Although this recipe does involve more moves than, say, sleepwalk chicken and vegetables, it’s still blissfully easy. And those few moments of paying attention are amply rewarded with a delightful meal to satisfy your sheet-pan dinner dreams.
Roasted Zucchini and Shrimp With Za’atar Yogurt
By Melissa Clark
This simple, colorful sheet-pan meal combines caramelized chunks of zucchini and tender shrimp. The zucchini is given a head start in the oven so it can turn deeply brown, while the shrimp marinate in a mix of za’atar and lemon zest, absorbing the flavors. Then, the shrimp is added to the sheet pan, and everything is quickly broiled before being dolloped with an herby, garlicky yogurt sauce. Don’t slice the zucchini too thin: This dish benefits from the texture of thick, meaty pieces.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea or table salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, more as needed
1 1/2 pounds shelled extra-large shrimp
4 teaspoons za’atar
1 lemon, finely zested and juiced
2/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
Chopped mint, cilantro or dill, for serving
Preparation
1. Place rack 6 inches from broiler, and heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together zucchini, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes. Spread evenly on a rimmed sheet pan. Roast until the zucchini is nicely browned all over, about 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.
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2. While the zucchini roasts, pat shrimp dry and add to the same bowl used for the zucchini (no need to wash it). Toss shrimp with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons za’atar and all of the lemon zest. Let sit at room temperature while the zucchini roasts.
3. Remove zucchini from oven and turn the broiler to high. Add shrimp to the sheet pan with the zucchini, spreading it out evenly. Broil for 2 to 5 minutes, or until the shrimp just cooks through (watch it carefully so the shrimp don’t overcook).
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, half of the lemon juice, the remaining 2 teaspoons za’atar and the grated garlic. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice, if needed. If the mixture is very thick, stir in a little water to loosen it, then spoon it on top of the shrimp and zucchini, and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Serve, making sure to scoop up the pan juices.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.