Zucchini Parmesan Stacks

I'm not much of a gardener, but my mom, Peej, is. She always has a million flowers in bloom and a huge garden full of vegetables. So, last week she brought me three HUGE zucchinis that she had grown. So, I tossed & turned trying to decide on what to make with these big babies. I ended up making Zucchini Parmesan Stacks and a few other things that I will post later on this week. I have always loved anything parmesan (especially eggplant), so I knew this would be good. I fried the zucchini in panko, so that it was extra-crispy, and then stacked them with homemade marinara sauce, fresh basil leaves, and gooey mozzarella. The dinner turned out great... I might actually prefer this over eggplant now! Enjoy :)

Zucchini Parmesan Stacks

For the Marinara:

2 15oz Cans of Whole, Peeled Tomatoes (I used San Marzano)

1 6oz Can of Tomato Paste

4T Fresh Parsley, Chopped

2T Fresh Garlic, Minced

1t Dried Oregano

1t Salt

¼t Black Pepper

6T Olive Oil

½C Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped

½C White Wine

6 Basil Leaves, Roughly Chopped

  

For the Zucchini:

1 Large Zucchini, Cut into ½inch Thick Slices

2C AP Flour

2 Eggs

¼C Milk

3C Panko Breadcrumbs

1C Parmesan, Grated

Salt, For Sprinkling

Olive Oil, For Frying

For the Zucchini Parmesan:

Fried Zucchini Slices

Prepared Marinara

Thick Slices of Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh Basil Leaves (plus some chopped for garnish)

Olive Oil, For Garnish

Balsamic Vinegar, For Garnish

 

Directions:

1. To Make the Marinara: In a food processor place Italian tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce and white wine. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add in the fresh basil. Keep on low heat until ready to stack your zucchini parmesan.
2. To Make the Zucchini: Slice the zucchini to about ½inch thick. Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and milk. For the third station, pour the contents of one box of Panko breadcrumbs with the grated Parmesan. Now, place the slices of zucchini into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded slices on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the slices rest for about 15-30 minutes. In a medium sauté pan, heat about 2 inches of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated, fry the zucchini slices for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden-brown & crispy. Place them onto a baking sheet & sprinkle with salt. Keep them warm in the oven while you fry the rest of your zucchini.
3. To Make the Zucchini Parmesan Stacks: Stack the fried zucchini in a baking dish with the marinara sauce, fresh basil leaves, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and broil in the oven until the cheese has melted and it has started to turn golden-brown. Serve on a plate with more fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil & balsamic vinegar.

source: marinara sauce.