White Zucchini Parmigiana
White zucchini parmigiana is a variation of the classic eggplant parmigiana, prepared without tomatoes and with zucchini instead of eggplant.
- Zucchini, 800 gr
- Smoked Scamorza, 400 gr
- Cooked ham, 250 g
- Bechamel sauce, 250 g
- Mozzarella, 220 g
- Grated Parmesan cheese, 70 g
- Breadcrumbs, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Fresh basil, to taste
- To prepare the white courgette parmigiana, first trim the courgettes and slice them thinly lengthwise using a mandolin (1): in the end you will need to obtain lots of slices approximately 2 mm thick.
- Grease an ovenproof dish and sprinkle it generously with breadcrumbs (2), then remove the excess.
- Arrange the courgette slices on the bottom, overlapping them slightly (3).
- Sprinkle them with a little more breadcrumbs and cover with the cooked ham (4).
- Stuff with the slices of scamorza and mozzarella, well drained from the whey (5).
- Add a few spoonfuls of béchamel sauce (6).
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and season with a few fresh basil leaves (7).
- Continue alternating the layers until you run out of ingredients, then complete with the courgettes, mozzarella and scamorza and plenty of parmesan (8).
- Place the courgette parmigiana in a hot oven at 190°C and leave to cook for 30-35 minutes (9).
- When a gratin crust has formed on the surface, take the parmigiana out of the oven (10) and leave it to settle for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
- Then portion out the white courgette parmigiana, distribute it onto individual plates (11), bring to the table and serve.
To prepare it with our chef Ghedini's advice, simply alternate the courgettes, thinly sliced with a mandolin, in a baking dish sprinkled with breadcrumbs, with layers of mozzarella, smoked scamorza, cooked ham, grated Parmesan cheese and béchamel sauce, for a creamy and stringy result.
The recipe is incredibly quick and easy, as the zucchini aren't fried or grilled, and the dish is assembled raw with just the addition of béchamel sauce, which you can purchase ready-made or make at home following our tips. If you like, you can replace the cooked ham with another cured meat of your choice, such as speck or turkey breast, or you can omit the cold cuts and try your hand at a vegetarian version.
Delicious both hot and stringy, straight from the oven, or cold, after resting at room temperature, white zucchini parmigiana is perfect as a main dish, as a rich and nutritious second course, or, served in a single-serving casserole dish, as a delicious appetizer.
Learn how to make white zucchini parmigiana by following Michele Ghedini's step-by-step explanations and valuable tips. If you enjoyed this recipe, also try the potato parmigiana and zucchini flan.
How to make white zucchini parmigiana
To prepare the white zucchini parmigiana, first trim the zucchini and slice them thinly lengthwise using a mandolin 1: you should end up with slices about 2 mm thick.
Grease an ovenproof dish and sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs 2, then shake off the excess.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and garnish with a few fresh basil leaves 7.
Place the courgette parmigiana in a hot oven at 190°C and cook for 30-35 minutes 9.
Once a gratin crust has formed on the surface, remove the parmigiana 10 from the oven and leave it to settle for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
Then portion out the white courgette parmigiana, distribute it on individual plates 11, bring to the table and serve.
