Zucchini “Parmesan”

Zucchini…I love love love it. Did you see how many “loves” I wrote there?

It is my favorite vegetable. I love it grilled, oven roasted, sautéed…well you get the picture.

Growing up, my mom mostly cooked Italian food, or Italian inspired food. This was because she was Italian and she learned from my grandfather. My grandfather was a wonderful cook, and in turn, so was my mother.  This was one of my mom’s recipes…but you never know. It could have been my grandfather’s that she adapted to her own! Either way, it is one of my favorites.

She called it Zucchini Parmesan, but it does not resemble what most would consider zucchini parmesan.  This is a great recipe that can be served as a main dish ( I would double it if it is the main dish) or as a side dish with some delicious grilled steak, chicken or fish. Over the years my mother experimented with different versions of this recipe. Some were successful, and others…not so much.

If you love eggplant, give that a try instead of zucchini. If you want to do without the breadcrumbs, just dredging the zucchini (or eggplant) in just flour and then sauteing also works well.  I have to say though, the bread crumbs bring it over the top though. This is a simple dish that gives you a lot in return.

Play with it a little, try other veggies, or make it as is! Enjoy!

Zucchini Parmesan
1 1/2 lbs of zucchini
1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
1-2 eggs beaten
2 -3 plum tomatoes sliced
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup  freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp of dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1  tsp of salt
1/4 cup of olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 8 x 8 inch square baking dish. Cut zucchini into rounds. Dip zucchini into egg and then the breadcrumbs. Repeat with all zucchini. Next heat oil in a skillet. Sauté zucchini in skillet until golden brown. Cover bottom of baking dish with zucchini. Next top with tomato slices. In a bowl, combine sour cream, salt, oregano and pepper. Spread evenly over the tomato slices. Then sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes or until cheese is melted. and zucchini is tender.