Scalloped Potatoes with Tomatoes and Anchovy Parsley Sauce

Serves 6-8

Who doesn’t love scalloped potatoes? This rustic recipe has no milk in the ingredients, but it still bakes to a wonderful creamy texture.  The paste of the oil, tomato, anchovies, garlic, and parsley layered with the soft potatoes just do alchemy in the oven. Make sure the potatoes are thinly sliced, and that you buy a good quality anchovy tin, they really make a huge difference.

Ingredients:

2 cups thinly sliced onions

5 tablespoons olive oil divided

2 cups  baby tomatoes sliced in half

½  tsp salt

1 2 oz. tin anchovies packed in olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves chiffonade

1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

¼  tsp pepper

1 cup of fresh parsley

1 tablespoon olive oil

2  cups potatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 2-3 Yukon Gold potatoes)

1 tablespoon olive oil to top before baking

1 cup grated Parmesan

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place 3 tablespoons olive oil into a sauce pan on low heat  add the onions, and sauté until tender. Fold tomatoes into the onions add salt cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the anchovies with the oil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, basil, thyme, pepper, and parsley. Whir to make a loose paste

In a 3-quart baking dish, place half of the tomato-onion mixture in the bottom of the dish, then 1 layer of potato slices, then spread of the anchovy mixture, add another layer of potatoes then top with another layer of the tomato mixture and sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon olive oil, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve warm.