Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Zucchini Parmesan



Wowza.

This is good.

If you're looking for a different way to use up all that fresh garden zucchini, this is a must-try!  Use a gluten-free bread crumb/cracker and this dish can easily become GF too!

Zucchini Parmesan - Modified from Swimming in Jell-o
{Print Recipe}

3 medium/large zucchini
1-2 tsp. Italian seasonings
sea salt, to taste
~2 C spaghetti sauce (we used homemade)
1 C ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tsp. basil (dried)
1/2 C bread crumbs
1 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, shredded

Slice up your zucchini lengthwise into layers (think like noodles!). Place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with Italian seasonings and sea salt.


Put these into the oven to roast at about 425/450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Check on them to make sure they are not burning, and flip once while cooking.

While zucchini roasts, lightly scrambled egg and basil in a medium-sized bowl.


Add in the ricotta cheese.


Stir to combine.


Pull the zucchini out when it's roasted, and allow it to cool before you decide to pick up the pieces ;)


Transfer the pieces to the bottom of a lightly greased 8x8 inch glass baking dish.


You can put as much zucchini in as you want -- this was what I had, so we went with it. I'd easily cover the whole bottom with zucchini next time.

Top with half of the bread crumbs (about 1/4 C)*

Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the zucchini.


Top with half of the spaghetti sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese.


Repeat the layers, again adding as much zucchini as you have prepared.



Finish by making the top cheesy -- adding the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheeses to the top.


Bake uncovered for ~40 minutes at 350.  Move the dish to the top rack about 10 minutes before serving so the cheese browns nicely.


Slice and serve.


This dish has great flavor and we loved all the veggies in it when we made it with our homemade sauce.

The bread crumbs are not crispy in this recipe, which didn't bother us.  But, I might suggest lightly sauteing the bread crumbs in a tiny dollop of butter and allowing them to crisp up, and then sprinkling them on the top after baking.  Or, sprinkle them on the top when you move the dish to the top rack to brown... and let the oven do the crisping for you :)  Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Ingredient Spotlight

15 comments:

  1. Oh my. That looks so yummy. I will have to try this with my summer squash from the garden.

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  2. I love that you post so many recipes with the seasons! My husband and I planted a garden with his parents, so we too have zucchini everywhere! I will be trying this as well as that blueberry zucchini bread. Thanks!

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  3. Yummo, recipe clipped! Thnx for shairng ;-)

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  4. Woo Hoo! Another recipe that uses zucchini! Yours looks YUMMMMMMY!

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  5. YUMMY!!! and looks GREAT!!! THANKS!!! for the recipe. Geri

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  6. Great idea. Looks so good.Thanks so much for sharing. I hope you will join me at diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com for Crock Pot Wednesdays. The giveaways this weeks are really great!

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  7. Just wanted to share that this looked SO delicious I had to make it for my family the other night. We doubled the recipe because we have 9 people, and had enough for one lunch leftover for DH. I used cottage cheese instead of Ricotta and mmmmm was it good! The kids didn't like the strange looking slimey green things (zucchini) LOL, but they did eat it without too much fuss.

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  8. That looks quite good and easy!

    Deborah
    browncoucheventsATgmailDOTcom

    Hey! Take a moment to enjoy The Back To School Thingy giveaways, reviews, & discounts!

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  9. I have been looking for something to do with all my zucchini! Thanks for the recipe!

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  10. wow, that looks good. i am a big zucchini fan & using it in place of eggplant makes me want to make it for dinner this week.

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  11. OMG...how did you know about all that zucchini sitting on my counter?? I have frozen, shredded and sliced. I have fresh small zucchini in the fridge and 2 ginormous ones on the counter. What a delicious way to use a couple of them up. Will definitely be making this one soon!!!

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  12. My dear, just made this at my mother-in-law's, for the first time after having it at your place before. I used eggplants instead of zucchini and cottage cheese instead of ricotta--I also used a homemade sauce, since in GA we got lots of tomatoes from relatives with gardens, so I made an onion and mushroom tomato sauce (stovetop). All the combination was great-tasting, so thanks for this great recipe--will definitely make again:))

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  13. Wowsers is right!!!! This recipe looks sooooooo GOOD! Yummy in my tummy!

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Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear from you; especially how you're finding JOY in your kitchen.

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