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I don't know what it's like by you this summer, but for us? It's all zucchini, all the time. Every morning, my husband marches into the kitchen with his very, very local (so chic!) backyard zucchini harvest, and I won't lie: my heart kind of sinks. I'm hoping for tomatoes, even though I know they're weeks away still (why do my tomatoes always take so long to turn red?!), and here he is. Again, with the zucchini. I've gotten pretty creative over the years with gluten free zucchini recipes like our gluten free zucchini bread with chocolate chips, but my kitchen antics always prove no match for summer's relentless annual bumper crop.
Just enjoy them with some tomato sauce for dipping, just as they are baked. It's easy! And unlike some zucchini recipes, you use up a ton of your zucchini crop.
You can see (and could have guessed) how easy it is to make zucchini-parm. But what you might not be able to tell from the step by step photos above? In the summertime, my favorite recipe for simple tomato sauce is better than ever because of a secret ingredient: shredded fresh zucchini! To my basic recipe, I add two simple things: a small can of tomato paste, and 2 medium fresh zucchini, pureed. It gives a surprising depth of flavor to the sauce, and, of all things, makes it creamy. Creamy! Amazing
Gluten Free Zucchini Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized zucchini, washed and dried well
- ¼ cup (25 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (I used my Better Batter; please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) milk
- 2 cups panko-style gluten free breadcrumbs
- 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely shredded
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) tomato sauce
- 10 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
- Slice the zucchini (or yellow squash) into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place them in a large bowl. If you have a mandolin slicer, set it to the largest slicing setting. Add the flour to the bowl of zucchini slices and toss to coat completely, prying open any slices that have stuck together.
- Place the eggs and milk, in another large, flat bowl, and whisk to combine. Place the breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, garlic powder and salt in a large, flat bowl, beside the egg mixture. Place the lined baking sheets next to the breadcrumb mixture.
- Dip each slice of zucchini in the egg mixture, allow all of the excess egg to drip back into the bowl, and the press both sides into the breadcrumb mixture. Place each slice on the prepared baking sheets, side by side. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until soft to the touch & golden brown, about 15 minutes. The zucchini slices can be enjoyed just like this, with some tomato sauce for dipping.
- To make a more traditional eggplant-parm-type dish, reduce your oven temperature to 350°F. Cover the bottom of a 9-inch x 12-inch baking dish with about 1/2 cup tomato sauce, then place baked zucchini slices on top of the sauce in a single layer, cover each slice with sauce, and top with shredded cheese. Repeat the zucchini slice, tomato sauce then cheese, layering the slices on top of one another, until you reach the top of your dish, finishing with a layer of shredded cheese.
- Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made these for dinner tonight – delicious – we tried them after baking them and then we made parm with them. Great recipe, thanks. We also made baked ziti and chicken parm…Italian extravaganza!!
hehehe..made this tonight. I love it when the gluten eaters ask for seconds…and thirds :). Thank you Nicole for all you do!