If you are experiencing a bumper crop of zucchini from your garden, here is the recipe for you. This Sicilian style zucchini parmigiana is lightly layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella, grated Parmigiano cheese and hard boiled eggs for the perfect vegetarian summer meal with no frying required!
My mom's eggplant parmigiana has always been a favorite of mine. Unlike most parmigiana dishes, hers was always much lighter. Never overly sauced or too cheesy and most importantly, she oven roasted her eggplant instead of frying it.
This Sicilian zucchini parmigiana recipe is prepared in the same way as a classic eggplant parmigiana, with a few exceptions. Zucchini parmigiana, or zucchini parmesan, has been on repeat mode here at our house this summer and therefore I had to share this recipe with you!
Here's why you need to try this zucchini parmigiana recipe!
- It contains an extra ingredient you don't typically see in a parmigiana recipe: hard boiled eggs. Yes indeed, we Sicilians like to add hard boiled eggs to several dishes including pasta al forno; or this Sicilian anelletti casserole with eggplant.
- Hard boiled eggs add extra flavor as well as protein. So don't knock it until you've tried it! If you are skeptical start by adding only one or two eggs to your recipe.
- The zucchini in this recipe is oven roasted until tender (but not mushy) instead of fried. This further lightens up the recipe without sacrificing any flavor.
- My zucchini parmigiana is lightly sauced and not overly cheesy and this is how it is prepared in Italy. The flavor of the zucchini shine through as they are not drowning in sauce or a thick layer of melted cheese.
- Make this dish ahead. In fact it is even better reheated the following day! Or try freezing it and bake just before serving.
Zucchini Parmigiana Ingredient List
- Zucchini: choose smaller zucchini which are tender and not seedy in the center.
- Tomato sauce: if you have leftover sauce that you used for a pasta dish or pizza, go ahead and use that. Otherwise sauté a garlic clove in olive oil, pour in about 2 cups of tomato passata, salt (to taste) and basil leaves. Let simmer while you prepare your zucchini.
- Grated cheese: use Parmigiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, or a combination of both.
Substitutions and Variations
- Try this recipe with eggplant instead of zucchini.
- For a creamier parmigiana, replace the mozzarella with ricotta applied in dollops on each layer of zucchini.
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
How to make Zucchini Parmigiana
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use a mandolin, if you have, or a sharp knife to cut zucchini into ¼ inch slices. Grease two baking sheets with 1 tbsp. olive oil, arrange zucchini slices without overlapping, drizzle with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and salt lightly. You will have to bake all the zucchini in two batches.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until soft but not mushy, otherwise they will fall apart. Transfer to a plate. Prepare all ingredients to assemble your parmigiana: grated Parmigiano cheese; shredded or cubed mozzarella; tomato sauce and hard boiled eggs.
- Ladle some sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Arrange zucchini slices slightly overlapping to cover the bottom of the dish.
- Cover with another light layer of tomato sauce. Note that the zucchini is not drowning in sauce, just barely covered.
- Top with ⅓ of the egg slices; sprinkle with 2 tbsp. of grated cheese; top with ¼ of the mozzarella and a couple of torn basil leaves. Top with more sliced zucchini and tomato sauce. Then continue with two more layers of ingredients finishing with a layer of zucchini; sauce; grated cheese and mozzarella.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this zucchini parmigiana recipe with eggplant instead?
Definitely, check out my eggplant parmigiana recipe!
Can zucchini parmigiana be frozen?
Tightly wrap the unbaked parmigiana and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bake as outlined in the recipe.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how much you enjoyed it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Zucchini Parmigiana Recipe
This Sicilian style zucchini parmigiana is lightly layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella, grated Parmigiano cheese and hard boiled eggs for the perfect vegetarian summer meal with no frying required!
Ingredients
- 5 medium zucchini about 1.75 kg
- ½ cup olive oil divided
- 1¾ cups tomato sauce *see note below
- 4 large eggs hard boiled
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
- 250 grams mozzarella cheese cubed or shredded
- handful basil leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use a mandolin, if you have, or a sharp knife to cut zucchini into ¼ inch strips. Grease two baking sheets with 1 tbsp. olive oil, arrange zucchini slices without overlapping, drizzle with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and salt lightly.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until soft but not mushy, otherwise they will fall apart. Transfer to a plate. You will have to cook your zucchini in two batches.
- Prepare all ingredients to assemble your parmigiana: grated Parmigiano cheese; shredded or cubed mozzarella; tomato sauce and sliced hard boiled eggs.
- Ladle some sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Arrange zucchini slices slightly overlapping to cover the bottom of the dish.
- Cover with another light layer of tomato sauce. Top with ⅓ of the egg slices; sprinkle with 2 tbsp. of grated cheese; top with ¼ of the mozzarella and a couple of torn basil leaves. Top with more sliced zucchini and tomato sauce.
- Continue with two more layers of ingredients finishing with a layer of zucchini; sauce; grated cheese and mozzarella.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Tomato sauce: if you have leftover sauce that you used for a pasta dish or pizza, go ahead and use that. Otherwise sauté a garlic clove in olive oil, pour in about 2 cups of tomato passata, salt (to taste) and basil leaves, and let simmer while you prepare your zucchini.
To Freeze: Tightly wrap the unbaked parmigiana and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bake as outlined in the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 409kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 19gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 794mgPotassium: 724mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1163IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 364mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Lucia
So good thank you for the recipe!
Nadia
Hello Lucia, thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
Anna Bucciarelli
This recipe is very much like the one mama always made and I do now too. I LOVE it - as much as, even perhaps more than eggplant parm. I know (I think) most of your recipes have a Sicilian tilt to them but Mama was from Naples and Papa was from Calabria - Could this possibly be an American twist? No matter - it is delightful and one of my favorites! Rhanks so much for sharing.
Nadia
Hi Anna, so nice to hear from you! I think there are definitely many similarities between the Calabrese and Sicilian recipes, after all we are so close to one another. I prepared this recipe very much in the same way that my mom made her eggplant parmigiana, with the hard boiled eggs. Thank you!
Marie
I love it. 👌
Nadia
Hi Marie, totally agree. Thank you!
Owen Macht
This is my first ever recipe, and I’m a 65 yo man and I know my way around the kitchen, but rarely take on meatless recipes, but this looked simple, tasty and healthy ., I made this for my wife tonight, thought she’d love it and yes, she was really delighted. It’s harvest season, lots of firm 10” zucchini in season, they were only $1.49/lb, decent fire roasted tomato sauce was $3.50, the Pizza Mozzarella was only $3 on sale! Where I didn’t scrimp was using real Reggiano Parma and fresh bail, that made it great for us. Also, sweating a garlic clove helped a lot , and I prebaked the zucchini a little longer , 20-25 min, and baked the casserole at 375C (30 min) because with the wetness, it can take it. This is a keeper recipe for us , our only mod was chili flakes, otherwise, it’s a great recipe as is, as well as very low cost for what you get. Thanks I will try more zucchini and less pasta in the future.
Nadia
Hi Owen, thank you very much for your lovely comment. I enjoyed reading it very much! Indeed, it is not an expensive recipe to make when the ingredients are in season and at a good price. And of course I agree you need to go for the Parmigiano Reggiano, nothing but the best. I'm glad to hear your wife enjoyed it as well. So many zucchini recipes to try, but of course pasta is always good. The other recipe that has been on repeat around here this summer is my pasta with zucchini recipe, so good!
BILLY D. BOGGS
I love zucchini fritters so I know I'll love this recipe
Nadia
Hi Billy, I think if you enjoy zucchini in general you'll like this. And of course, zucchini fritters are always a favorite around here! You can check out my fritter recipe on my blog as well. Thank you!