Red Zucchini Parmigiana

Red Zucchini Parmigiana is a variant of the more traditional Eggplant Parmigiana. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 6-7 medium zucchini
• 800 g tomato passata
• 250 g mozzarella (or fiordilatte)
• 100 g grated Parmesan
• Fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oil for frying (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by cutting the zucchini into slices about 3-5 mm thick. If you prefer a lighter version, you can grill them instead of frying. In the case of frying, once the zucchini are sliced, fry them in plenty of hot oil until golden and then let them drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. If you choose to grill them, lightly oil them and cook on a hot grill until they have the classic brown stripes on both sides.
2. Prepare the sauce by sautéing the garlic in extra virgin olive oil. When golden, remove it and add the tomato passata. Adjust with salt, pepper and let cook for about 15-20 minutes, after adding some fresh basil leaves.
3. Cut the mozzarella into cubes and let it drain to remove excess liquid.
4. Assemble the parmigiana in a baking dish, creating successive layers of zucchini, tomato sauce, cubed mozzarella and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Repeat until ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of sauce and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180° C for about 30-40 minutes or until the surface is well golden and crispy.
6. Let the zucchini parmigiana rest for about ten minutes before serving, to allow the layers to settle and the mozzarella to firm up a bit.

Trivia

The parmigiana is not only a dish born in Italy but has become a symbol of Mediterranean home cooking, with many regional variations and customizations. Although the original version involves the use of eggplant, experimenting with zucchini offers a lighter but equally tasty result.