Easy Roasted Zucchini Squash Recipe

This simple casserole recipe is the epitome of comfort food, and is perhaps my favorite way to enjoy zucchini. This recipe features crispy zucchini slices layered with bubbling mozzarella, a homemade marinara sauce, a medley of fresh herbs, and toasted bread.

What sets this easy recipe apart is its ability to transform simple ingredients, readily available at your local grocery store — zucchini, tomatoes, fresh herbs — into a hearty and flavorful comfort food delight. This is a perfect side dish for those looking for a hardy accompaniment to their favorite pasta to form a complete meal, or as a light main dish on its own.

Best of all, this Roasted Zucchini Parmesan Bake is surprisingly easy to make, while still delivering a wonderfully flavorful and comforting end result. If you can bread and fry zucchini, put together a quick homemade tomato sauce, and then layer the casserole, you can make this recipe. Combining simple ingredients and simple steps for preparation, this truly is a beginner-friendly dish, easily accessible to home cooks of various skill levels.

Easy Roasted Zucchini Squash RecipePhoto byLiving the Gourmet

Ingredients

• 4 zucchini - cut lengthwise - about 1/4 inch thickness
• 6 - 7 slices of white bread - toasted
• 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 16 oz. of mozzarella - cubes small
• Fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese - for grating
• Vegetable oil - for frying
• Olive oil - drizzling
• Tin foil
• Paper towels

For the Sauce:

• 5 - 6 vine ripe tomatoes - cubed
• 5 - 6 cloves of garlic - rough chopped
• 1 large sweet onion - sliced
• handful of fresh basil - ripped
• handful of fresh Italian parsley - chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
• Olive oil - for drizzling

Instructions

1. Heat a large cast iron frying pan with about 3 tbs. of vegetable.
2. Make a station of, 1 shallow bowl for the flour, 1 shallow bowl with the milk and egg bath and 1 shallow bowl with the breadcrumbs.
3. Dredge the zucchini slices first in the flour, then the milk and egg wash and finally in the breadcrumbs.
4. Carefully place the slices in the heated oil and allow for each side to get a nice golden color. Place the slices on a plate prepared with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
5. Continue this process until the zucchini are used up.

For the Sauce:

1. Heat a large cast iron frying pan and add the sliced onion and garlic. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Cook on a gentle heat until the onion is slightly golden and the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes and all of the seasonings and continue to cook on a gentle heat until the tomatoes are softened. Drizzle with another tablespoon of olive oil.

To Build the Zucchini Bake:

1. Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
2. Drizzle olive oil at the bottom of a baking dish.
3. Place a layer of the toast at the bottom of the dish.
4. Top the toast with the fried zucchini slices followed by spooning the sauce over the zucchini, the grated cheese and finally the mozzarella.
5. Continue this process until the ingredients are used up.
6. Cover the dish with tin-foil, being sure not to touch the top with the foil so the mozzarella does not stick to the foil.
7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.
8. Let the dish rest for about 10 - 15 minutes before slicing into it.

**If you enjoyed today's recipe, visit Living the Gourmet for more easy and delicious meals your family will love!