By Now, Zucchini Should Be No Surprise

Good evening everyone!  I am always intrigued with the way recipes are contorted to add or omit certain ingredients and it turns out just as good as the original.  Many of these dishes are vegetarian, and while I'm all for trying them, I like my meat too much to go Vegan.  Tonight showcases another great vegetarian dish that is quite delicious, with some really unique flavors.  While we've done a similar style recipe before, this one puts more emphasis on the veggies than anything else.

The Recipe:  Zucchini Parmesan
An Adaptation of a Recipe Found On:  www.pinterest.com

What You'll Need:
3 Medium Zucchini, washed and sliced into 1/3-inch pieces
1 (24 Ounce) Jar of Marinara Sauce (personal preference is up to you)
1 Pound fresh Mozzarella Cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 Cup fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Butter
1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour

To start, preheat an oven to 350 degrees and heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melting the butter.  Arrange the zucchini slices on either plates or cutting boards.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides of the slices.  Place the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the zucchini slices on both sides.  Shake to remove any excess and place back on the original plates or boards. 

By the time all zucchini slices are dredged, the butter will be melted and the skillet will be hot.  Arrange the slices in an even layer in the skillet and cook for three to five minutes per side, or until each side has browned.  Remove from the skillet and place in an even layer in two 9x13 inch baking pans.  Repeat with all slices until they are all cooked.

Next, spoon a tablespoon or less (depending on preference) of the marinara sauce on each slice of zucchini until all are covered.  Then, place a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each sauce-topped zucchini slice.

Place the baking pans in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese has started to melt and the sauce is hot and bubbly around the edges.  Remove the pans from the oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Return to the oven and bake for five minutes more, until the Parmesan cheese is melted.  Take the baking pans out of the oven and sprinkle with Parsley for garnish.  Serve and enjoy!

The End Result:

I've learned to enjoy zucchini as a stand alone ingredient and this dish didn't disappoint.  While the pieces of zucchini are quite thin, browning them added a bit more flavor than if they were to be cooked alone.  The marinara sauce I chose was a "vegetable variety" and I think it added more than the typical, plain marinara sauce.  The bubbly mozzarella was very tasty and really rounded out the dish.  Granted, this dish sets itself apart from the traditional Eggplant Parmesan, because the lack of pasta noodles, but I think this is great dish and something that should definitely be tried again!

Thanks for joining us this week.  Check back next week as we continue to showcase new recipes for you to try at home.  Until then,

~Cheers!