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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Recipes

    Zucchini Parmesan (Parmigiana di Zucchine)

    Published: Jul 22, 2021 · Modified: Oct 10, 2022 · by Debra with 1 Comment · 2143 words. About 11 minutes to read this article. · This post contains affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy zucchini parmesan is vegetarian and gluten free! No breadcrumbs, no dredging, NO FRYING! It's layered with oven roasted zucchini, and adding smoked mozzarella gives it an unexpected twist.

    Two pink plates and a white casserole dish with zucchini parmesan with two glasses of rose.

    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    It's the summertime dilemma: an avalanche of zucchini and what to do with it? I mean, let's be real, you can only eat so much zucchini bread, no matter how much you think you love it.

    Enter Elizabeth Minchilli, and her giant Italian garden. Bless her, for she has sent this idea for baked zucchini parmesan to the rescue!

    There are no breadcrumbs or breading in this recipe, so it's gluten-free. We're baking the zucchini in the oven, so no frying, either! We'll layer it with gooey cheese, and have a nice homemade garlicky tomato sauce, too, so it tastes like Italian sunshine.

    Jump to:
    • No breadcrumbs, no breading, no frying!
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Tips
    • Related recipes
    • Recipe
    alt=""

    No breadcrumbs, no breading, no frying!

    In the United States, when we think of 'parmigiana', we think about coating it in flour and breadcrumbs and frying it. But in Italy, that's not necessarily true, it varies by region. In many cases, the vegetables are simply fried in olive oil (or in this case oven-roasted) and then layered with cheese. Sometimes there is sauce, sometimes there is not.

    Zucchini, olive oil, fresh basil, grated cheeses, canned tomatoes, garlic, salt and crushed red pepper laid out on a white surface.

    Ingredients

    • Zucchini: Choose small to medium zucchini. The bigger they get, the more seeds they have, and we don't want that. We need them to hold up to the oven roasting.
    • Smoked mozzarella cheese: This adds to the roasted flavor of the dish. It has just a hint of smokiness, and it complements the crushed red pepper in the sauce.
    • Parmesan cheese: Well, you know I will always tell you to use REAL Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, it's just so much more flavorful. It's worth the investment.
    • San Marzano tomatoes: Again, use the real thing here. They have a distinct sweetness to them and they taste like Italian sunshine. Don't fall for imposters. There will be a certification on the label, so look for that. My favorite brand is Cento.
    • Fresh basil: I like to use just a few basil leaves in one layer—not every layer—to add freshness. But you can add more if you like.
    • Garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper and salt: This is all you need to give the sauce its incredible flavor.

    Step by step instructions

    Adapted from The Italian Table, by Elizabeth Minchilli.

    I've written this up so that you can multitask while making this recipe. Grate the cheese while the zucchini drains, make the sauce while the zucchini roasts, etc. So it may seem like I'm going back and forth between things, but if you do it this way, it will be stress-free and take less time.

    Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

    A woman's hand holding a slice of zucchini, a cutting board and knife are in the background.

    Use a good chef's knife to slice the zucchini into planks about ¼ inch thick.

    Sliced zucchini in a glass bowl with a small bowl of salt next to it.

    Place the zucchini slices in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt so that all slices are coated. Allow to sit in the bowl for about 30 minutes. The salt is going to pull a lot of water out of the zucchini which will prevent the final product from being watery.

    Parmesan cheese on a cutting board with a grater, a measuring cup and bowl full of cheese are to the left.

    Meanwhile, grate the parmesan and mozzarella on the small holes of a box grater. Chop the garlic finely.

    A bowl of sliced zucchini with two small bowls with olive oil and salt to the left.

    After 30 minutes, the zucchini slices will have released a lot of water, and they should be kind of flappy and pliable. Lay them out flat on a clean dish towel, then lay another clean dish towel on top to blot dry.

    Place the zucchini into a large, DRY bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt so that all of it is coated.

    Raw sliced zucchini on a parchment lined sheet pan.

    Place the zucchini on the parchment-lined baking sheets, but not too close together. We want them to roast, not steam.

    Baked zucchini slices on a parchment lined baking sheet.

    Roast the zucchini in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until they start to get golden brown in spots and seem to have given up most of their water. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 400 degrees F.

    While the zucchini roasts, make the sauce.

    A woman's hand in a bowl of crushed tomatoes with an empty can to the right.

    Empty the tomatoes into a large mixing bowl and crush them by hand. Remove any stem ends from the tops of the tomatoes, as they won't break down while the sauce simmers.

    A blue casserole pan with garlic, olive oil and crushed red pepper.

    Add the olive oil to a large, deep pan over medium heat. I used my Lodge enamel cast iron casserole dish. Once it begins to shimmer, add the chopped garlic and crushed red pepper. Stir frequently for 1 - 2 minutes, just until the garlic becomes fragrant and begins to soften.

    Disclosure: I am a member of the Lodge Blogger Network. The pan shown was provided to me free of charge. All opinions are my own.

    A wooden spoon in a blue casserole pan with tomato sauce.

    Add the crushed tomatoes and salt to the pan, stir all the ingredients together and turn the heat up to medium high. Fill the tomato can about ¼ full with water and swish it around then add that to the sauce as well. Once it gets to a bubbly simmer, turn the heat back to medium and stir frequently, preferably with a wooden spoon, for about 20 minutes.

    Tomato sauce and baked zucchini layered in a casserole dish.

    Now for the fun layering part!

    Layer 1: Put ⅓ of the sauce in the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Then add ⅓ of the zucchini on top as you would lasagna noodles.

    Tomato sauce and baked zucchini topped with parmesan cheese and fresh basil in a casserole dish.

    Next add ¼ cup of parmesan, then ½ of the smoked mozzarella and a few basil leaves.

    Layer 2: sauce, zucchini, ¼ cup of parmesan, all of the remaining mozzarella.

    Layer 3: zucchini, sauce, remaining parmesan.

    alt=""

    Place the zucchini parmesan in the oven (400 degrees F) and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is beginning to turn golden brown. Let stand 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

    alt=""

    Substitutions

    • If you can't find it, or simply don't like smoked mozzarella, use regular whole milk mozzarella instead.
    • You can absolutely use jarred marinara sauce instead of making the sauce yourself. It is summer and we are taking it easy here.

    Tips

    • You can find smoked mozzarella at Whole Foods.
    • I highly recommend grating your own cheese. Once grated, cheese starts to lose moisture and the texture changes. You'll also pay less if you grate it yourself.
    • Do NOT skip salting the zucchini and letting the water drain out of it! This is so important! If you don't do this beforehand, you'll end up with very watery zucchini parmesan and that would be very sad.
    • Yes, you still need to salt the zucchini again before you roast it. You're wiping off most of the other salt when you blot between the dish towels.
    • Using a wooden spoon to stir the sauce makes it easier for you to break apart the tomatoes as you stir. You have more surface area and more control.

    Related recipes

    More recipes with zucchini and all of its pals from the summer garden!

    • If you've still got more zucchini, but you just can't stand the thought of cooking, how about a Zucchini Salad with Herbs, Almonds, and Lemon-Caper Dressing? Sounds like a plan!
    • Creamy Zucchini Pasta is made with mascarpone cheese, which complements the subtle sweetness of that garden-fresh zucchini!
    • Why not take this same idea and apply it to eggplant? Try Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna on for size.
    • A kiss of sherry vinegar mixed in with the tomatoes as they roast is the secret to this Oven Baked Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil Yogurt Sauce. You've never tasted such a fabulous concoction. And the smell as it cooks? Irresistible. Try not to burn your tongue.
    • Nothing says summer like corn cut fresh off the cob. This Fresh Corn Salad with Blistered Shishito Peppers and Lime Dressing turns that same-old, same-old corn salad into yesterday's news.

    Recipe

    A pan of zucchini parmesan with a wooden spatula in it.

    Zucchini Parmesan (Parmigiana di Zucchine)

    This easy zucchini parmesan is vegetarian and gluten free! No breadcrumbs, no dredging and NO FRYING! It's layered with oven roasted zucchini, and adding smoked mozzarella gives it an unexpected twist.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Main Dish
    Cuisine: Italian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Keyword: zucchini parmesan
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 305kcal

    Equipment

    • chef's knife
    • cutting board
    • mixing bowls
    • sheet pan
    • parchment paper
    • box grater
    • oven proof casserole pan
    • 9 x 13 casserole dish
    • wooden spoon

    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ pounds zucchini
    • 6 oz smoked mozzarella
    • 1 ¼ cups parmigiano reggiano cheese (parmesan)
    • 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes from one 28 oz can
    • ¼ cup olive oil plus more for roasting the zucchini
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the zucchini
    • 1 bunch fresh basil
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Note: I've written these instructions so that you can multitask while making this recipe. Grate the cheese while the zucchini drains, make the sauce while the zucchini roasts, etc. So it may seem like I'm going back and forth between things, but if you do it this way, it will be stress-free and take less time.

    Prep and roast the zucchini, grate the cheeses

    • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Use a good chef's knife to slice the zucchini into planks about ¼ inch thick.
    • Place the zucchini slices in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt so that all slices are coated. Allow to sit in the bowl for about 30 minutes. The salt is going to pull a lot of water out of the zucchini which will keep it from making the final product watery.
    • While you wait for the zucchini, grate the parmesan and mozzarella on the small holes of a box grater. Chop the garlic finely.
    • After 30 minutes, the zucchini slices will have released a lot of water, and they should be kind of flappy and pliable. Place them on a clean dish towel, then lay another clean dish towel on top to blot dry.
    • Place the zucchini into a large, DRY bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt so that all of it is coated. Place the zucchini on the parchment-lined baking sheets, but not too close together. We want them to roast, not steam.
    • Roast the zucchini in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until they start to get golden brown in spots and seem to have given up most of their water. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 400 degrees F.

    While the zucchini roasts, make the sauce

    • Empty the tomatoes into a large mixing bowl and crush them by hand. Remove any stems from the tops of the tomatoes, as they won't break down while the sauce simmers.
    • Add ¼ cup of olive oil to a large, deep pan over medium heat. I used my Lodge enamel cast iron casserole dish. Once it begins to shimmer, add the chopped garlic and crushed red pepper. Stir frequently for 1 - 2 minutes, just until the garlic becomes fragrant and begins to soften.
    • Add the crushed tomatoes and kosher salt to the pan, stir all the ingredients together, and turn the heat up to medium high. Fill the empty tomato can about ¼ full with water and swish it around to get everything out then add that to the sauce as well. Once it gets to a bubbly simmer, turn the heat back to medium and stir frequently, preferably with a wooden spoon, for about 20 minutes.

    Layering the zucchini parmesan

    • Layer 1: Put ⅓ of the sauce in the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Then add ⅓ of the zucchini on top as you would lasagna noodles. Next add ¼ cup of parmesan, then ½ of the smoked mozzarella and a few basil leaves.
    • Layer 2: sauce, zucchini, ¼ cup of parmesan, all of the remaining mozzarella.
    • Layer 3: zucchini, sauce, remaining parmesan.

    Bake it!

    • Place the zucchini parmesan in the oven (400 degrees F) and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is beginning to turn golden brown. Let stand 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • You can find smoked mozzarella at Whole Foods.
    • I highly recommend grating your own cheese. Once grated, cheese starts to lose moisture and the texture changes. You'll also pay less if you grate it yourself.
    • Do NOT skip salting the zucchini and letting the water drain out of it! This is so important! If you don't do this beforehand, you'll end up with very watery zucchini parmesan and that would be very sad.
    • Yes, you still need to salt the zucchini again before you roast it. You're wiping off most of the other salt when you blot between the dish towels.
    • This recipe is adapted from The Italian Table, by Elizabeth Minchilli
    • Be sure to read the post above for more info on how to choose ingredients and make substitutions. 
     
     
    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 913mg | Potassium: 798mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 468mg | Iron: 2mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda Cummings

      September 02, 2021 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      Great way to use all that zucchini

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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