Zucchini parmigiana: a twist on a classic dish! The same recipe can be made with zucchini, and it tastes great too!

Zucchini can be quite bland, however with this zucchini parmigiana recipe, you have a way to enhance the fresh taste in the best way. I’m pretty sure you’re gonna love them.
The good thing about this type of recipe is that you can make it whenever you have the time, then put it in the freezer either cooked or raw and have it on hand when you are in a hurry. It is perfect when you have guest and you need a make-ahead recipe that will save you a lot of time. It is possible to prepare it the day before, keep in the fridge and cook it as soon as the guests arrive.

You can also use a slow cooker to make it! In this case the only thing you’ll need is to broil it for a few minutes before serving.

Zucchini parmigiana health facts

• Vitamins and minerals: Zucchini are rich in vitamins and minerals, low in calories and perfect if you want to add more veggies to your daily diet. In particular zucchini contains potassium and phosphorous and also magnesium. Vitamin A, B5, C along with others are also in zucchini however, since they tend to degrade in heat, using the slow cooker can be the best way to retain most of the nutrients.
• Folic acid: zucchini are rich also in folic acid, that resist the heat. Folate is a crucial nutrient for our body that regulates the functions and growth of our cells.
• Antioxidants: When zucchini are paired with tomatoes and cheese, you turn a simple veggie into a full meal rich in antioxidant, lean protein, fibers and nutrients. I use little to no fat in the recipe to keep it even lighter and perfect for a light mid-week dinner or a lunch on the go. It taste amazing either cold or hot, so you can pack it in a lunch box.

Adding a hot kick with chili flakes also allow your body to increase your metabolism and activate the brown fat that burn the bad fat in your body.

How to make zucchini parmigiana

Tips, tricks and variations

1. You can slice the zucchini and sprinkle with salt, then let them sit onto a wire rack for 15/20 minutes. This way you’ll remove all the moisture from the zucchini and the end result will be tastier and the cooking time will reduce slightly.
2. You can put the passata in a bowl, add salt, pepper and chili pepper along with some olive oil and mix well, then use it without the need to sprinkle the seasoning on each layer. You can also add herbs such as oregano, rosemary or parsley to you liking.
3. To make this dish richer in taste, you could prepare a “sugo” by adding to a pan some finely chopped onions, the passata, salt and pepper and cook for 5 to ten minutes. then use this mix to layer the dish.
   
4. Don’t have mozzarella? You can use any melting cheese, however I would try to avoid ultra processed cheeses, or pre diced or sliced ones, if you can get a good quality cheddar it works great as well, or maybe gruyere, fontina or provolone, they’ll make the recipe very savory and flavorful.
5. Want to make an extra effort? Turn this into a zucchini lasagne. Layer dried lasagne in between the zucchini then add some water to allow the pasta to cook. Cook in the oven for 50/60min.

How to store zucchini parmigiana

You can make this recipe in large batches and store it in different ways:

• Freeze: you can freeze this recipe either cooked or raw. I usually freeze it cooked, but raw is good as well. You can thaw it in the fridge and cook it when needed. If you prefer to freeze it cooke, you can thaw it in the microwave in 5 minutes.
• Fridge: this will keep in the fridge, cooked, for several days. And if you want to prepare it in advance, it will keep in the fridge raw for up to three days.

Usually at the end of summer, I buy the largest zucchini I can find, cut into slices and grill it. I’ll then keep the grilled zucchini slices in the freezer, ready to make this recipe or other that calls for grilled zucchini, when zucchini are not in season.

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Zucchini parmigiana

If you like eggplant parmigiana, you will love this version made with zucchini. Perfect for meal prepping, and ideal for parties, this recipe is simple and takes your zucchini to the next level.

Course Vegetables

Cuisine Italian

Keyword zucchini parmigiana, zucchini recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 800 gr of zucchini
• 500 ml of passata
• 200 gr of mozzarella
• 50 gr of parmigiano or grana
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
• chili peppers to taste

Instructions

• Wash well and slice the zucchini into 1cm slices and grill the slices for 5 minutes in the oven. You can also briefly cook the slices on a pan on the stove.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/375°F. in the meantime tear the mozzarella into small pieces. Great the parmigiano and keep aside in a bowl.
• Oil a 20x30cm tray with the oil, then spread a tablespoon of passata. Lay the zucchini slices, sprinkle with some salt, pepper and chili, spread some passata and then add a layer of mozzarella and cheese on top.Keep layering all the ingredients, and finish with some passata and mozzarella.
• Put in the oven and cook for around 30/40 minutes.
• If you use a slow cooker, cook on low for around 3/4h, then broil the surface for 5min.

Similar recipes

Try also my quick eggplant parmigiana, you can make it with eggplants but works perfectly with zucchini too. If you like zucchini you can also try my  zucchini pasta or my marinated zucchini.