How delicious is eggplant parmigiana? We are used to enjoying it in its classic version with strictly fried eggplants, or in the lighter version, with grilled eggplants before being baked. But what if we think of replacing the eggplants with zucchini sliced into rounds and instead of the tomato sauce dress everything with a thick and velvety pepper cream? We would certainly get a really tasty and fragrant alternative parmigiana! It will be really easy to make, especially since in this recipe the zucchini are added raw! Of course, they must be cut very thin but the result will be delicious, you can trust me! I used two types of cheese, mozzarella and asiago, alternating them in the four layers, but you can also decide for just one type between the two or vary with some sweet or spicy provolone, why not! Surely, you will discover, bite after bite, an unmistakable combination of flavors, which will make this vegetarian side dish very inviting and original! It will also be so filling and satisfying that you can even present it at the table as a second course or appetizer in a buffet to be served cold, cut into squares. You can enjoy your zucchini parmigiana on a picnic, an outing, at the beach, and even at the office!
If you love to vary and experiment with alternative dishes to traditional recipes, also try these fantastic versions according to seasonality:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything more!
- 3 zucchini (large or 4 small)
- 3 red peppers
- 4.2 oz mozzarella
- 4.2 oz asiago
- 2.1 oz grated parmesan
- 1.4 oz black olives
- A few leaves mint (fresh)
- A few leaves basil
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste mixed peppercorns
Tools
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything more!
- Paper towels
- 1 Baking pan
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Baking dish
Steps
Wash the peppers, dry them with kitchen paper towels and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 392°F for about 40 minutes, turning them halfway through. Turn off the oven, cover them with their own paper and let them rest for 20 minutes, then peel them and remove the stalk and internal seeds. Place the cleaned pulp in strips inside a mixer.
Salt and pepper and add the mint and basil leaves. Finally, drizzle with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.
Blend at intervals until you obtain a homogeneous, thick, and creamy mixture.
Wash the zucchini well, peel them if not organic, trim them, and slice them into rounds.
Start assembling the parmigiana by putting a drizzle of oil and 2 tablespoons of water on the base of a baking dish to create the right humidity. Create the first layer of zucchini.
Lightly salt them on the surface and cover them with a few spoons of pepper cream until covered.
Add half of the well-drained mozzarella cut into cubes and the olives previously pitted and sliced. Sprinkle with plenty of grated parmesan.
Proceed to assemble three more layers, alternating mozzarella with asiago, also cut into cubes, until the ingredients are exhausted. Bake at 374°F for about 35 minutes. The fork test will still be valid: if the tines penetrate easily into depth, it means the parmigiana is ready, otherwise continue cooking.
Turn off the oven, let it cool outside the oven before proceeding to cut, then serve.
And voila… the zucchini parmigiana with pepper cream is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Let it cool well before dividing it into portions.
Storage
👉 You can store your zucchini parmigiana with pepper cream in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze it for 1 month in special single-serving containers with an airtight seal.
