Foodie Friday: Squash & Zucchini Parmesan

Every week I have a couple of friends over to watch a few of our favorite TV shows. I usually cook dinner as well, which can be a challenge because my best friend is a vegetarian, and everyone else sure loves their meat (we are from Texas, after all). This recipe was something I whipped up that everyone seemed to really enjoy. Even though not everyone liked squash or zucchini, they all seemed to love it served up as the classic Italian Parmesan dish. Best part is that it is pretty simple, especially if you use the pre-sliced, frozen veggies.

This recipe will make 4-6 servings.

You will need:

• 1 small yellow squash
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs (I always prefer Panko)
• 1 1/2 cups + 1 of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• Pasta of your choice (spaghetti or vermicelli are my favorites)

Before baked

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Wash and slice your squash and zucchini into 1/4" slices. Or, thaw your presliced squash and zucchini
3. Beat egg in a small bowl, and pour flour into a shallow bowl and breadcrumbs onto a small plate
4. Coat the bottom of a greased 9x13 or similar baking dish with a thin layer of sauce (about 1/2 cup)
5. Dip one piece of squash/zucchini into the flour and coat fully, then dip into the egg, and lastly coat with breadcrumbs
6. In a frying pan, heat up a little bit of oil and brown your squash piece on both sides (about 1 minute on each side)
7. Place this piece into the baking dish, and repeat until all of your squash and zucchini are breaded or your pan is full

   

   After baked

8. Coat the squash and zucchini with the remaining pasta sauce (about 1 cup), and then sprinkle grated parmesan on top
9. Baking uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling
10. While baking, boil your pasta and heat up the remaining sauce (feel free to make more or less than the recommended 1 cup)
11. Serve the baked squash over a bed of pasta and sauce