Baked Zucchini Parmesan with Homemade Tomato Sauce

1.8K shares Pinterest Facebook Twitter Yummly Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Baked Zucchini Parmesan is a gift from summer as well as a healthy meal that your whole family will enjoy. Farmers market-fresh produce make up this meal that is ultimately finished by a slow-cooked tomato sauce from the farmer’s garden to your kitchen table. This Baked Zucchini Parmesan is a farmers market fiesta. Baked Zucchini Parmesan We can’t get enough summer although we will try to pack in as much of the warm green season as we can. It’s been a superb summer here in Wisconsin with lots of sun-filled days together with just enough rain and humidity to make anything that grows in soil thrive to its fullest. Produce from our Favorite Farmers Market This recipe starts by making a simple but really good tomato sauce, and it’s all from fresh ingredients. Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce One of the occupational hazards of running a food site is to sample and subsequently eat every single recipe that we feature. This may not sound like a problem to you, but if you had gained 30 pounds in the past few years as I have done, you might have a better idea of what I’m talking about. For this reason, I am trying to focus a bit more on healthy foods and substituting carb-ridden foods like pasta for things like whole grains and fresh vegetables. Farmers Market Fresh Ingredients This zucchini parmigiana by and large does exactly that.  In lieu of layers of pasta, we used layers of fresh zucchini instead. Speaking of zucchini, we have made a few other recipes that feature this gift of summer, you can read about them here. Baked Zucchini Parmesan is a fresh, seasonal meal as well as a recipe that the entire family will enjoy. To construct this Baked Zucchini Parmesan, follow these simple steps: Slice a long zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Then, sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and allow to drain for at least 30 minutes in a colander that is placed in your sink. Briefly rinse the salt off of drained zucchini then pat dry with a paper towel. Brush each slice of zucchini with olive oil and then season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed red peppers. Next, lay the zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and place in a hot oven to roast for about then minutes or until fork-tender and lightly brown. Roast the zucchini strips until fork tender and lightly brown. Once the zucchini are roasted, scoop a ladle of sauce and spread it across the bottom of a lasagna pan. Place a layer of zucchini in the pan, cover with sauce and then sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Seasoning the zucchini Layering the zucchini Adding cheese to zuccini Repeat this process to finally end up with three layers. On the top layer, spread with sauce, more Parmesan, and then bake for 45 minutes at 350℉. Remove from oven, garnish with fresh cut basil, more Parmesan, and allow to set for 5 minutes before serving. We suggest a mellow Italian red wine with this. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is one of our favorites and can be found for about $20 just almost anywhere.   You’re going to want to try this Baked Zucchini Parmesan soon. It can be made any time of the year, but late summer and fall are when you can find fresh zucchini at any produce stand, farmers market, or better yet in your garden. It’s a fresh, delicious, and healthy meal that you will make again and again — wishing you and yours a delicious season, whenever it is that you may be reading this. Thanks for checking out our site, it means the world to us.  -Dan Zucchini parmigiana is a healthy and fresh seasonal meal.   More Popular Farmers Market Recipes Crustless Vegetable Quiche Marinated Farmers Market Tomatoes Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce with Roasted Sweet Peppers 9 Farmers Market Recipes from Midwest Living   Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe5 from 7 votes Baked Zucchini Parmesan with Homemade Tomato Sauce This zucchini parmigiana is adapted from Martha Rose Shulman via the New York Times Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 45 mins Total Time 1 hr 15 mins Course: Entree Cuisine: Italian Keyword: Keto, Summer, zucchini Servings: 6 Calories: 144 kcal Author: Dan from Platter Talk Ingredients 4 cups Homemade Tomato Sauce 1-2 lbs zucchini use long ones if available. Olive oil Salt and pepper Crushed red pepper flakes 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese US Customary - Metric Instructions Preheat oven to 450 ℉. Slice Zucchini into 1/4 inch strips and then place in a colander or in a clean sink and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Allow the zucchini to drain for at least 30 minutes. Next, rinse off zucchini briefly then pat dry with paper towels. Place zucchini on a baking sheet that has been lined parchment paper and then brush each strip with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes over each strip. Place in hot oven and then roast until fork tender and lightly browned, abut 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 400℉ Using a rectangular lasagna-style pan or deep casserole baking dish, evenly distribute about 1 cup of tomato sauce in bottom of pan. Place one layer of zucchini strips in pan and then top with a cup of tomato sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat this process for a total of three layers and then bake for 30 to 45 minutes until brown and bubbly on top. Remove from oven and then garnish with optional fresh basil and additional Parmesan cheese. Allow to set 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Nutrition Calories: 144 kcal | Carbohydrates: 11 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Cholesterol: 14 mg | Sodium: 574 mg | Potassium: 484 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 8 g | Vitamin A: 15.9 % | Vitamin C: 21.3 % | Calcium: 22.4 % | Iron: 5.1 % Made This Recipe? Show me what you made on Instagram or Facebook and tag me at @plattertalk or hashtag it at #plattertalk.   1.8K shares Pinterest Facebook Twitter Yummly Join The Platter Talk Food & Lifestyle CommunitySubscribe now and get this Platter Talk ebook "Our Ultimate Top 10 Recipes". SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!See our privacy policy here.