Roasted vegetables, with their caramelized sweetness, are a perfectly simple vegetable side dish. Unfortunately, the roasting usually needs to occur at a high temperature, which can be a problem if you’re preparing the vegetables as a side dish to entrees that must be baked in a 350-degree oven.

To combat this problem, I began using a combination of stove-top sautéing and oven roasting to come up with golden vegetables at a lower temperature. The procedure works well with zucchini, but also can be used for asparagus and green beans. I’ve kept the seasonings simple – just salt, red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan, but you can add some finely chopped shallots or minced garlic to heighten the flavor. My Viking sauté casserole is perfect for preparing the Pan-Roasted Zucchini, as it heats up evenly on top of the stove, goes right into the oven and is pretty enough to serve from.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 small zucchini, washed, trimmed and sliced into discs
• Sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1/3 cup freshly shredded
• Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat an oven-proof skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add olive oil and zucchini. Season with salt and red pepper flakes, and cook for 5 minutes, until the zucchini on the bottom are beginning to turn golden brown. Stir zucchini, turn off the heat, and place skillet in the oven. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings.