The zucchini parmigiana is a delicious bake made with grilled zucchini, eggs, and cheese, a lighter and more delicate alternative to the classic eggplant parmigiana, ideal if you don’t particularly like tomato sauce: indeed, this is a white parmigiana, where zucchini and cheese are held together by a sauce made of beaten eggs that gives the dish softness and taste. To complete the grilled zucchini parmigiana, a bit of breadcrumbs, which makes the bake more compact and helps create a delightful crust on the surface. The goodness of this zucchini parmigiana will surely repay you for the effort and the trouble of turning on the oven on these hot summer days!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Affordable
- Rest time: 10 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
- Energy 653.31 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 21.82 (g) of which sugars 2.17 (g)
- Proteins 44.90 (g)
- Fat 45.44 (g) of which saturated 9.54 (g)of which unsaturated 6.63 (g)
- Fibers 4.18 (g)
- Sodium 546.05 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 295 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the White Zucchini Parmigiana
- 1.3 lbs zucchini
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsps milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (for me gluten-free)
- 5.3 oz scamorza (sliced)
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 4 leaves basil
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Mandoline
- 1 Grill Pan non-stick
- 1 Baking Dish 8×8 inches
- 2 Bowls
How to Prepare White Zucchini Parmigiana
To prepare the zucchini parmigiana, start by washing and trimming the zucchini, then slice them lengthwise, not too thinly (1). To make them all the same thickness quickly, I used a mandoline, but with a bit of precision, you can achieve the same result with a sharp knife.
Lightly oil a non-stick grill pan that goes on the stove or an electric grill, then when it is hot, place the zucchini on it (2) and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking and lightly salting them (3).
When they are properly grilled, remove them from the grill pan and let them cool on a tray. Wash and dry the basil and parsley and finely chop them with a knife (4).
In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt and pepper, add the milk, half of the parmesan (25 g), and the chopped basil and parsley; continue to beat to blend everything well (5).
In another bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining parmesan. Cut the scamorza into thin slices or use the pre-sliced one found in many supermarkets. Grease a baking dish with a bit of oil, a 8×8 inch square dish (6).
Place a layer of zucchini, slightly overlapping them (7); then add a few slices of scamorza (8) and garnish with two or three tablespoons of the egg sauce (9).
Finish with a sprinkle of the parmesan and breadcrumb mix (10). At this point, form another layer of zucchini (11) and one of scamorza. Garnish with beaten eggs and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parmesan.
Continue in this way until all the grilled zucchini are used up. On the last layer, place the scamorza slices, pour all the remaining egg sauce over it, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parmesan (12).
Bake the grilled zucchini parmigiana in a preheated oven at 350°F (static) for about 30 minutes, until the surface is golden brown (13).
Take it out of the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The white zucchini parmigiana is excellent both hot and at room temperature.
Storage
You can store the grilled zucchini parmigiana in the fridge for a couple of days and then briefly heat it in the microwave or oven.
Tips and Variations
To make the white zucchini parmigiana richer, you can add layers of cooked ham, mortadella, or speck.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I make the parmigiana with fried zucchini?
Yes, instead of grilling the zucchini slices, you can fry them in hot deep oil. However, it’s important to let them dry well on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil, otherwise they will release it once in the oven.
What can I use instead of scamorza?
You can use mozzarella that is quite dry, or another cheese that melts well in the oven, like fontina or emmental.
