Cheesy Baked Italian Summer Squash

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add all veggies and season liberally with salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes until veggies are tender (the veggies will shrink as cooked). Let rest for 5 minutes, push veggies to one side of the pan, tilt, and discard any excess water (soaking up with paper towel helps).

Pour in marinara (reserving 1 cup) and Mexican blend cheese. Toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Cover top with an even layer of remaining marinara followed by mozzarella cheese (and optional dollops of ricotta), cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

In the last 10 minutes, remove foil and bake uncovered. Let cool for 5 minutes, top with fresh basil and serve. You can alternately broil uncovered for 1 minute to brown up the cheese at the very end.