This is one of my favorite side dishes. I had some zucchini frites at a local Italian restaurant and I fell in love. Mine are not quite as thin and stunning as the restaurants but they satisfy my cravings!
The zucchini is sliced lengthwise into ribbons, bathed in Parmesan and baked until golden…interested?
Cut the ends of zucchini off and cut a thin slice of peel off of the outer edge. See all the moisture that beads to the surface immediately?
That is why you must lay it out on paper towels and salt it to make sure all that moisture releases. You don’t want soggy ribbons!
I used a grocery store slicing tool {a mandolin wannabe} and sliced this as thinly as possible. I had trouble getting the full length of the zucchini sliced, but that it doesn’t matter, it’s still divine. I need to practice my technique or buy a mandolin because the ribbons are so pretty when they are long!
Turn slices over after 10 minutes or so, salt again and let sit for another 10 minutes. Wipe off salt and moisture with a paper towel.
Set up a little dredging station with a dish of beaten egg and a dish of Parmesan cheese. Dip the zucchini in egg, then bathe it in grated fresh Parmesan.
Place the slices on an oiled, foil lined baking sheet. Be sure to spray or brush the foil with oil so the zucchini doesn’t stick!
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until they look like this!
Enjoy hot from the oven!
I often serve this with a pasta dish instead of bread like the Lite & Spicy Sausage Pasta we had the other night or Italian Tetrazzini It’s great with anything!
Here’s the recipe:
ZUCCHINI PARMESAN RIBBONS
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini washed
- 1 egg
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Slice ends of zucchini off and trim the skin from one side by cutting a thin slice down the length of the vegetable.
- Now carefully cut thin ribbons lengthwise with a knife or mandolin.
- Place slices on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Turn slices over after 10 or 15 minutes and salt again. After another 10 minutes wipe salt and moisture from zucchini with a paper towel.
- Beat egg in a shallow dish. Place a generous amount of grated Parmesan in another shallow dish. Dip zucchini in egg and then dredge in Parmesan.
- Place ribbons on a well oiled foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until golden. Serves 2
You can also make a raw salad with thinly sliced zucchini ribbons, a light lemon vinaigrette and some freshly shaved Parmesan, Yum!