Layered Zucchini Parmesan (Perfect for Garden Season)

Let’s toast to summer and all it awards us. I love all seasons, but summer evokes sweet and breezy feelings. The season engages all our senses; it’s a full experience of sensory delights. Speaking of delighting the senses, this Layered Zucchini Parmesan will do just that. It’s not only an explosion of summer flavors in your mouth, but it will certainly impress visually, too.

This zucchini parmesan is the perfect make-ahead getaway from the hot grill; let’s impress my peeps recipe. It’s layered with summer’s plump zucchini, fresh tomato sauce, melty mozzarella, and sweet, salty prosciutto. Then, top it off with a dollop of creamy ricotta and fresh basil; seriously, it’s a WOW dish.

These stacks pair perfectly with a garden salad or a simple pasta, like my Creamy Orzo. They’re the perfect bake for entertaining. The union of a yummy, easy summer dish, a crisp white wine, and good company is a recipe for a lot of deliciousness.

Tomato Sauce Recipe Ingredients

• Tomatoes – Plum tomatoes are best for making sauces. They boast a garden-fresh tomato flavor and are lower in water content than other types of tomatoes, making them perfectly suited to sauce-making. But any garden-fresh or farm-market-fresh tomato will do—dice tomatoes for the sauce.
• Olive Oil– I suggest using high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Basil – Use fresh basil. If you are growing fresh basil this summer, prune the blossoms from the end of each stem to maintain the best flavor.
• Garlic – Finely mince. Simply a very fine chop, as small as you can get it.
• Salt – Kosher salt is preferred, but any salt will do.

Layered Zucchini Parmesan Recipe Ingredients

• Zucchini—To make the stacks, slice the zucchini longways. Try to pick zucchinis that are the same size to ensure even layers.
• Tomato Sauce – Fresh sauce celebrates all that is summer, but jarred sauce will work too.
• Eggs – Used to bind the breadcrumb mixture to the zucchini.
• Panko breadcrumbs – They have a delicate texture and absorb less oil than regular breadcrumbs, making the fried zucchini lighter and crispier.
• Parmesan—Freshly grated to mix with the breadcrumbs—adds to the texture and flavor of the fried zucchini. Pecorino Romano cheese can also be used.
• Parsley – Fresh is always preferred, but dried parsley will work too.
• Olive Oil – A healthy fat for frying, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil is preferred.
• Mozzarella – Use low-moisture mozzarella; it melts much better when heated.
• Prosciutto – Optional; adds a sweet, salty note to the dish.
• Ricotta – Just a dollop on top of the stack adds to the presentation and creaminess to the dish.
• Basil – Freshly cut on top adds to the fragrance.
• Salt – Just a pinch is needed.

How to make Layered Zucchini Parmesan

If making the fresh tomato sauce, dice the tomatoes into small cubes. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Add tomatoes and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, basil, and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and slice longways into 1/4-inch long slices. Pat each one dry before dredging.

Prepare the breadcrumb mixture. Mix panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and parsley in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs.

Dip each slice into the beaten egg mixture, then transfer it to the breadcrumb mixture and coat generously on both sides.

Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat. When oil starts to bubble, fry zucchini on each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. To ensure even crispiness, be sure the slices are not touching in the pan.

Fry in batches. Drain on a paper towel and season with a pinch of salt.

Spoon fresh tomato sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Add a layer of fried zucchini and top with more tomato sauce.

Next, top with shredded mozzarella and prosciutto. Repeat layering three times.

Place the casserole dish on the middle rack of a preheated 375°F oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Finally, add a dollop of ricotta and a sprinkling of freshly cut basil leaves before serving. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe Tips & Variations

• Whether you pick your zucchini from your garden or the market, choose small to medium-sized zucchini (6-8 inches in length). A very large zucchini can be less tasty.
• If you want a little kick to your fresh tomato sauce, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• If eggplant is what you have handy, swap the zucchini for the eggplant; it’s just as fresh and tasty.
• Substitute fontina cheese for mozzarella. It melts beautifully and has a bit creamier, buttery flavor.
• Make it vegetarian-friendly and omit the prosciutto.
• A crisp, dry white wine pairs wonderfully with this dish.

Make Ahead & Storing

• Before baking, follow all the steps up to it. Store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. It can be made up to one day ahead.
• After baking, the layered zucchini parmesan can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave or re-bake covered in the oven for 15 minutes.
• You can freeze it after cooking. Let it cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before heating.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Layered Zucchini Parmesan

This elevated Layered Zucchini Parmesan is stacked with all summer's best flavors. Perfect for a grill-free night of entertaining.

Prep 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Lorraine Saeger

Equipment

• 2 Saute pans
• 1 casserole dish

Ingredients

Fresh Tomato Sauce

• 2 pounds plum tomatoes diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt

Layered Zucchini Parmesan

• 2 medium zucchini's sliced longways
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan freshly grated
• 2 tbs fresh parsley chopped
• ¼ pound sliced prosciutto
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

Fresh Tomato Sauce

• Cut the tomatoes into dice pieces, leaving out the stems.
• Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat and add tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add minced garlic, basil and salt.
• When sauce starts to simmer, turn the heat on a low heat for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and set aside.

Frying Zucchini

• Wash and pat dry zucchini. Cut off each end and slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Mix together panko breadcrumbs, fresh grated parmesan and parsley in a bowl. Season mixture with a pinch of salt.
• In a separate bowl, beat eggs until frothy.
• Dip each zucchini slice into the eggs, then coat in the breadcrumb mix. Be sure both sides are generously coated.
• Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in a saute pan. Add more oil while they cook as needed.
• Fry each side for about two minutes until golden brown. Be sure the slices do not touch the pan to ensure even crispness.
• Drain on paper towel and season with salt.

Layering Zucchini Parmesan

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Spoon a light layer of fresh tomato sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with fried zucchini across the dish. Don't have them touching.
• Add tomato sauce, prosciutto, and grated cheese.
• Repeat stacking each one until you have used all of the zucchini.
• Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes, until cheese is melty.

Notes

Zucchini does not have to be peeled for this recipe. Its tender skin contains most of its nutritional value. Be sure to give it a good washing before slicing.