Preheat oven to 375°. Put a slick of olive oil in the bottom of a 7-x-11-inch or other appropriate-size baking dish with 2-inch sides. Slice tomatoes lengthwise about 1/4-inch thick and put in bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes if using; toss tomatoes a little with your hands, then spread them out in the pan. With a vegetable peeler, shave zucchini into strips and put on top of the tomatoes, filling the dish to about 1/2 inch from the top. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, then sprinkle grated cheese over the top and (these are Steve’s words) “optional but highly recommended from this camp: put a can’s worth of anchovies on top, evenly spaced, like on a pizza.” Or if using breadcrumbs, sprinkle those over the top.

Put the dish in the microwave on high for 5 minutes (“to speed things up”) then bake until vegetables collapse and cheese begins to brown, about 40 minutes. (If you don’t have a microwave, cover dish with foil and bake 15 minutes; remove foil and bake as directed, 30 to 40 minutes more). Eat warm or at room temperature.