Baked Zucchini Parmesan

Remember that time I said good-bye to zucchini for the year? Yeah....about that. When you spend your Saturday morning playing catch-up on your blog posts, you come across something that's been sitting in the queue for...months. And then you make a liar out of yourself from previous blogposts. But that's okay! I'm sure you'll forgive me. This was actually one of the better squash recipes we have tried, probably due to the amount of other ingredients that are involved - particularly cheese. (Cheese makes everything better). So before you get burned out on zucchini/squash this coming summer, try this recipe to make sure that you're giving it a decent chance before you overeat it! The variety of tomatoes involved balances the zucchini out nicely and at points, you almost forget the zucchini is there between the general pasta-dish feel you get from the meal. Overall, worth a shot!

Cooking Notes: We used 4 medium zucchini and regular (not whole wheat) breadcrumbs Will made about 2 cups of sauce total by 4 tomatoes, 4 cloves garlic, 3/4 can fire roasted and 1 tbsp tomato paste - this was based off of the sauce recommended in the original blog post.

Baked Zucchini Parmesan (adapted from Pinch of Yum; serves 8)
10-20 zucchini slices (about 4 medium zucchini)
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
5 egg whites
1 lb. penne pasta
3/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
Parsley, to top
Tomato sauce
4 Roma tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
3/4 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste

Cut the zucchini into 1/2" thick slices. Place the egg whites and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dip the zucchini pieces into the egg white, then run through breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, carefully flipping once towards the end. Remove from the oven when browned and firm. While the zucchini are baking, cook the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Saute the garlic in a little olive oil, then crush the Roma tomatoes and 3/4 can fire roasted tomatoes in a food processor. Transfer the tomatoes to the garlic pan, then add 1 tbsp of tomato paste. Simmer, then drain out excess water with a wire sieve. When pasta is ready, drain and mix together with 2 cups sauce and 1/2 cup cheese.

Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Arrange the baked zucchini pieces over the top, then cover with the remaining 1 cup of sauce and 1/4 cup cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melting and everything is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with parsley, serve and enjoy!

Recipe: Pinch of Yum: Baked Zucchini Parmesan