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Parmigiana bianca di zucchini

"White" Zucchini Parmesan
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Antipasto, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: baked, vegetable

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kilos 3 lbs small or medium zucchini
  • 250g 1/2 lb ham sliced
  • 500g 1 lb mozzarella, scamorza, mild provolone or another meltable cheese, thinly sliced
  • 50g 2 oz parmigiano-reggiano freshly grated
  • salt
  • butter

Instructions

  • Trim your zucchini top and bottom, then slice them very thinly (2-3mm or 1/8 inch) lengthwise with the help of a mandolin or the slicer disk on a food processor. 
  • Lay the zucchini slices out in a single layer on a tray, then sprinkle them on both sides with salt. Lay over a sheet of parchment or wax paper, then another layer of zucchini slices, which you will also salt. Repeat until you've used up all the slices. Lay over a final sheet of paper, then a cutting board, which you can weigh down with a can or other object.
  • Let the zucchini steep for at least an hour. The slices should have exuded quite a bit of liquid and become even thinner. Pat them dry with paper towels, pressing down gently to squeeze out yet more liquid without, however, bruising them. 
  • Now take a large baking dish. (It should be large enough to hold all the zucchini in 3 or 4 layers). Butter the bottom and sides generously, then cover the bottom with a layer of zucchini slices, ever so slightly overlapping. Then lay over a slice or two ham, then slices of your cheese of choice. Sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano. (If you like a richer result, dot with butter.) 
  • Repeat until you've used up all your zucchini. For the last layer, omit the ham and make sure the cheese covers the zucchini completely. It's preferable at this point to use cheese that's been grated or cut into tiny cubes. 
  • Place the dish in a pre-heated oven set to 190C/375F. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the top has browned nicely. 
  • Let your parmigiana bianca rest at least 10 minutes before serving.