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Zucchini Parmesan Recipe

This fuss-free Zucchini Parmesan skips the busy breading-and-frying routine in favor of roasted zucchini strips layered with homemade tomato sauce and two kinds of cheese.

Ingredients :
  • For the zucchini:
  • 2 pounds zucchini ends trimmed, halved crosswise, and sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch slices
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • For the sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes undrained
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • For the casserole:
  • 3/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • fresh parsley minced, for garnish
Directions :
  1. To roast the zucchini:
  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
  3. In a large bowl, add zucchini strips, extra-virgin olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Toss to combine.
  4. Arrange zucchini slices on prepared baking sheets in a single layer. Bake until zucchini is light golden brown and fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
  5. To make the sauce:
  6. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes (be careful; they may splatter when they hit the hot oil, so keep the lid handy), basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using). Bring the sauce to boil over medium-high heat.
  7. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the flavors have blended, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper) and keep warm over medium-low heat.
  8. To assemble and bake the casserole:
  9. Spread ¼ cup tomato sauce over the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Arrange one-third of the zucchini in an even layer over the tomato sauce. Spoon one-third of the remaining tomato sauce over zucchini.
  10. Sprinkle ¼ cup Parmesan cheese over layer, followed by ¼ cup mozzarella. Repeat layers with remaining 2/3 zucchini slices, tomato sauce, and cheeses.
  11. Bake until bubbling and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

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