We have some seriously huge zucchini. It's amazing how fast they grow. The one I used for this recipe could have fed 8-10 people. I only used half of it.

As I was cutting into the huge squash the idea for zucchini parmesan came to me. We had all the necessary ingredients so why not? It turned out pretty good (how could it not with marinara and fresh mozzarella?), but I don't think I baked it long enough. The zucchini was still a little crunchy. Matt said he liked it like that, but I would have liked it a bit softer.

If I were to make this again I would probably forgo the breading and instead brush the zucchini with olive oil, seaon with salt and pepper, and roast it until tender. Then I would layer it with sauce and cheese and bake until the cheese melts. Or, if I wanted to use less fat I would just layer the raw zucchini (seasoned with salt and pepper) with sauce and bake until it's tender, then serve it with grated parmesan.

1 extra large zucchini
bread crumbs
dried oregano
dried basil
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt
pepper
2 eggs
olive oil
spaghetti sauce
mozzarella
parmesan

Preheat oven to 350.

Slice the zucchini into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Beat the eggs and mix with a little water. Place in a shallow dish or cake pan. In another shallow dish, mix about 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs with a generous amount of oregano, basil, salt, and pepper, and a dash of red pepper flakes, if desired.

One by one, dip the zucchini slices in the egg then the bread crumb mixture to coat. Add more bread crumbs/seasonings as necessary.

In a large skillet, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Fry the breaded zucchini slices in batches until browned, adding more oil when necessary.

In an 8"x8" baking dish, coat the bottom with a thin layer of sauce. Add a layer of zucchini slices. Top with more sauce, mozzarella cheese, and grated parmesan. Repeat until the pan is full. I ended up making three layers of four 4-inch zucchini slices.

Bake until bubbly and zucchini is soft.