zucchini parmesan

This zucchini parmesan is so tasty and so satisfying, and…it gets better every time you reheat it. I find that veggies are easier to fry than say, chicken, so it doesn’t make as much of a mess and doesn’t take as long either.

I save some time using Rao’s jarred sauces which are ah-mazing (tomato basil is my favorite for this!) but you can, of course, use any sauce you’d like. Just make sure it’s a lighter, tomato sauce (not a meat sauce). Enjoy it more and more with every reheat!

Ingredients:

2-3 Medium Zucchini

Flour

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder

Vegetable oil

Rao’s tomato basil sauce (or any light, tomato sauce)

Fresh mozzarella, roughly sliced (one large)

Grated parmesan or Locatelli pecorino romano cheese

You’ll need a slicer, like a mandolin!

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roughly slice fresh mozzarella into half-moon shaped pieces.

Slice one end off of zucchini on a diagonal, and use mandolin to slice thin circular or oval slices about ¼ inch thick.

Toss them in large Ziploc bag with a few tablespoons of flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Fry all zucchini on medium heat in vegetable oil for a few minutes each side until lightly golden brown.

Dry on paper towels to absorb excess grease.

Using a roasting pan of your choice (I used an 8x8 square pan) layer sauce on the bottom (it does not need to be heated), then add overlapping zucchini layers, mozzarella (it should be scattered, it won’t cover the entire layer like a pizza), sprinkle with parmesan or pecorino romano, and then top with a little bit of sauce.

Continue layering until your last layer contains just zucchini, mozzarella, parmesan or pecorino romano, and some black pepper. The top layer should not contain sauce (this will help it crisp up a bit!)

It will take about a half hour to bake through and should sit for 10-15 minutes before eating.

You can prepare ahead of time or the night before, but remember to take the tray out to get to room temperature before baking or else it will take every bit of an hour+.

Best way to reheat is in a toaster/convection oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes!

Mangia!