This Three Cheese Zucchini Parmesan came about from a bumper crop of zucchini and has now become one of our favorite meals! Three cheeses and a crunchy, panko crust makes this so good that you won’t miss the chicken one bit.
I made this for my husband’s best friend one day, and he is definitely a meat eater, so I was a little worried. But he LOVED it! So now I am always getting asked about when I am going to make this Three Cheese Zucchini Parmesan again. And anytime he sees a zucchini, this is what he assumes (or maybe hopes?) I am making. It is just so good!
This dish is definitely a little bit of work so it is not really ideal for a busy weeknight, but it is so amazing that we make it regularly on the weekends.
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Any of your favorite Italian sauces are great here. I like to use my Simple Marinara Sauce and make some pasta to go along with it.
If you have never used a splatter screen before, you probably are familiar with trying to avoid all those random oil explosions and making it out of the kitchen with as few battle scars as possible. You should grab one of these fancy splatter screens as they are amazing! No oil all over the counters or stove, and no oil trying to attack you.
You can also peel the zucchini before slicing them if you are not a fan of the skins. Or maybe if you want to try and hide the fact that it is green in an attempt to get it by the kiddos. But there is so much flavor in this Three Cheese Zucchini Parmesan that I don’t think they would mind.
What is the favorite Italian dish in your household?
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini (approximately 1 pound total)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (plus more for topping)
- olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1/2 cup fontina cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 batch or jar favorite pasta sauce (see note)
Instructions
- Cut off the ends of each zucchini. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices. You should typically get four slices from each zucchini for a total of eight. Set aside.
- Set up three shallow bowls or small plates for the dredging stations. In the first, add the flour. In the second, crack open the egg and lightly beat to mix the yolk and white together.
- In the third dish, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, parsley, and fresh Parmesan. Lightly mix with a fork to combine.
- Pour enough oil in a large nonstick skillet to cover the bottom. Heat the skillet over medium low heat. (If you are making pasta, this is when I start getting the water boiling).
- While waiting for the oil to heat, start dredging the zucchini. Place a zucchini slice in the flour and coat on both sides. Tap or shake off the extra flour. There should be a very think coating of flour. Do not worry if it is not on the edges.
- Transfer the floured zucchini to the egg mixture and coat on both sides. Using the fork, hold it above the dish to let the excess egg drip off.
- Transfer the zucchini to the breadcrumb mixture and coat on both sides. Repeat with each piece of zucchini. If you are working ahead, you can place the dredged zucchini on a large plate for holding.
- When the oil is hot enough, place the zucchini in the skillet 2-3 at a time. Use a splatter screen to prevent oil from splashing during cooking.
- Cook zucchini until golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes. Flip over and cook the second side until golden, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the finished zucchini slices to a baking sheet. Do NOT use a sil pad as you will be using a broiler and it will ruin the silicone. Tin foil is fine.
- Repeat the pan frying process for each zucchini piece until completed. Add additional oil as needed and wait for it to heat up before adding the zucchini each time. Turn off the stove. You should now have all of your zucchini on the baking sheet.
- At this point, you can serve as-is if you wish. For the "Parmesan" effect, sprinkle some of the fontina and mozzarella on each zucchini. This cheese will create a little barrier to help prevent the zucchini from getting soggy due to the sauce.
- Turn the broiler on in the oven. Place the cheese covered zucchini on the top rack and broil until melted. This will only take a few seconds, so watch it! Leave the oven door cracked open for heat to escape.
- Pull the sheet back out of the oven (or just pull the shelf out). Place a little sauce on each zucchini slice and top with the remaining mozzarella and fontina. Sprinkle with some extra Parmesan.
- Put the tray back under the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown. Again, this will take only seconds.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately with pasta or sides of choice.
What a great way to use zucchini!
I adore everything about this recipe. It’s fun; it’s healthy; it’s a great way to use zucchini! Can’t wit to try it.
Love that you used a little fontina in addition to mozzarella.
My mouth is watering just looking at your photos and reading the delicious recipe! Your Three Cheese Zucchini Parmesan look amazing. What wonderful fall comfort food – well worth the effort you need to put in to make them!
These look like lunch! I just made the same thing but used eggplant instead of zucchini. Delicious either way!
Thanks.
did you pre-salt the zucchini to get the water out?
Hi Renee,
I do not! I just slice, dredge, and go! It has not failed me yet 🙂
Could you bake zucchini instead of frying and at what temperature and for how long? Would you need to spray top with a coating of oil? Looks delish
Hi Marilyn,
Absolutely! I have started to bake these more frequently than I pan fry them. After they are breaded I line them up on a silicone baking sheet (you could also use non stick foil or parchment paper) and bake them at 350F. When they start to turn a light golden brown on top and feel a little crunchy to touch, approximately 15 minutes or so, I flip them over. The second side bakes faster, probably about 10 minutes, but the time all depends on the size of the zucchini slices and their thickness.