Culinary Explorer
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Zucchine alla Parmigiana
Created by Chef Graziella
Summer zucchini layered with simple tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, baked until the cheese bubbles and the edges turn golden. What eggplant parmigiana becomes when you crave something lighter.
This is not eggplant parmigiana with zucchini substituted. It is its own dish, born from the same impulse but requiring different technique. Zucchini contains more water than eggplant. If you ignore this fact, you will produce a soggy mess swimming in liquid. The dish will taste of nothing but disappointment.
You must draw the water out. Salt the slices and let them weep. Then fry them until golden, which drives off more moisture and creates flavor. Only then do you layer. The tomato sauce should be light, barely there. The mozzarella fresh, not the rubbery blocks that melt into plastic. The Parmigiano generous on top, where it can form a proper crust.
Southern Italian cooks have made this for generations as a way to use the zucchini that threaten to overwhelm every summer garden. It is a contorno, a vegetable side dish, though I have seen Americans eat it as a main course. I do not object to this. A well-made vegetable dish deserves respect.
Ingredients
medium zucchini
Quantity
2 pounds (about 6)
kosher salt
Quantity
for salting and seasoning
San Marzano tomatoes
Quantity
1 can (28 ounces)
whole peeled
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| medium zucchini | 2 pounds (about 6) |
| kosher salt | for salting and seasoning |
| San Marzano tomatoeswhole peeled | 1 can (28 ounces) |
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