Zucchini & Prosciutto Cotto Parmigiana
It’s officially that time of the year when my zucchini obsession begins where I want to eat it fried, grilled, sautéed, even raw! This summer squash is so versatile and tastes good in a variety of dishes. Apologies, in advance but you may be seeing many zucchini recipes between now and the end of Summer because it’s the season!
This week I’m sharing a recipe that is equally inspired by eggplant parmigiana and an elusive pizza special at my local pizzeria. While classic parmigiana fries, you know I’m not a fan of frying at home and I’d rather eat fried food at a restaurant unless I’m cooking for a group at home then I’ll gladly fry.
This is a grilled zucchini parmigiana with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, and prosciutto cotto. It’s cheesy, easy to make and so decadent tasting. Prosciutto in Italian simply means ham. prosciutto crudo is cured ham, and prosciutto cotto is cooked ham. We typically don’t cook with prosciutto crudo, if it’s ever used in a recipe like my frittata last week or on a nice pizza it’s simply draped over after the cooking to finish plating. Prosciutto Cotto on the other hand is often used in cooking, as well as a nice schiacciata with your choice of dreamy toppings on a schiacciata.
If you make this recipe make sure to send me pics or tag me on IG @thedolcevitaexperience
Zucchini
There are many varieties of zucchini once the warmer months begin. The variety found at markets in abundance at the local farmer’s market is called Zucchini Romane or Zucchini Romanesco and in Florence, there is Zucchini Fiorentina which looks very similar to the Zucchini Romane. The Romane are much smaller than the typical zucchini found in the states and typically sold with the blossom attached. This would be the female blossom since it’s attached to the fruit. The Fiorentina looks similar, however is slightly larger and the ribbing is more pronounced. You can use the blossom anyway from lightly breading and frying, stuffing and frying, sautéing for quick pastas, or omelettes or even in a Zucchini risotto. The variety found in the states is called Zucchini Nero di Milano. Really any zucchini variety would work for this dish, but ideally, the larger one is perfect since we are building layers.
Parmigiana di Zucchini e Prosciutto Cotto
Serves 6
Mise en Place
Ingredients:
3 to 4 Zucchini
4 slices of Prosciutto Cotto (or similar baked ham, can be more or less slices depending on the size of the slices)
400 grams (14 oz) of canned cherry tomatoes, passata, or whole peeled tomatoes
1 Shallot
325 grams (13 oz) Fresh Mozzarella
45 to 60 grams (½ a cup) of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
6 fresh basil leaves
A few sprigs of fresh marjoram
Method:
Pre-heat your stove stop grill on medium flame. Slice the zucchini lengthwise using a mandolin for uniform thickness. When your grill is ready, add EVOO as needed to prevent sticking. Grill the zucchini a couple minutes per side. I also salt and pepper the zucchini as I’m grilling them. Work in batches and place them to the side until assembly.
Remove the mozzarella from the water, and blot with a paper towel really well. Chop finely, the smaller the better for melting. Blot again with a paper towel to remove any excess water. Set aside until assembly.
In a small pot, add some EVOO and heat on low to medium flame. Slice your shallots, and sauté until translucent. Add the canned tomatoes of choice, and bring to a boil, then lower it to a simmer. The sauce will cook for 20-25 min. Season with salt to taste, and sugar to balance the acidity. If youre not used to adding sugar ,the amount will vary with different brands of tomatoes. They all add some level of citric acid to help preserve, and it also depends on the natural acidity of the tomatoes when canned. I would add a pinch of sugar, stir well and taste. Keep repeating until the sauce no longer tastes tart, it will taste balanced. Chop the fresh basil and marjoram. Add half the herbs to the tomato sauce, reserve the other half.
Pre-heat your oven to 180 C (350F). Take your baking pan, and drizzle some EVOO. Then add a thin layer of tomato sauce. Make a layer of the zucchini, then add pieces of the Prosciutto Cotto, add some mozzarella, sprinkle some grated cheese, a layer of sauce and repeat. The order in which you layer the ingredients is not a science, you can choose to layer as you wish since it will all bake together with the flavors melding. I do like to alternate the direction of the zucchini layer to create a nice stacked layer that creates a more solid network for cutting and serving after. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes, and then sprinkle the other half of the chopped herbs on top. Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the top layer of cheese is completely melted and starting to blister. Remove from the oven and let it sit 5ish minutes before serving. Highly recommended to serve with some nice slices of thick, Tuscan bread.
