Parmigiana with Zucchini alla Salernitana

The Salernitan Zucchini Parmigiana is a Campanian variation of the more classic eggplant dish. In this version, zucchini are fried and then layered with mozzarella, cooked ham, and tomato sauce, creating a rich and flavorful dish. Here is how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 6 medium zucchini
• 300 g of mozzarella (buffalo mozzarella is better)
• 200 g of cooked ham
• 500 ml of tomato puree
• 1 small onion
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Oil for frying
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Flour as needed to dredge the zucchini

Preparation

1. Wash the zucchinis and cut them into longitudinal slices about 5 mm thick. Lightly salt them and let them rest so that they release some of their vegetation water.
2. In the meantime, prepare the sauce by sautéing a finely chopped onion in some extra virgin olive oil. When the onion is golden, add the tomato puree, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. At the end of cooking, add a few hand-torn basil leaves.
3. Pat the zucchini slices dry with paper towels and lightly flour them. Fry them in abundant hot oil until they are golden on both sides. Drain them and place them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
4. Cut the mozzarella into slices and the cooked ham into strips.
5. In a baking dish, start assembling the parmigiana by alternating layers of fried zucchini, mozzarella, cooked ham, tomato sauce, and grated Parmesan until all the ingredients are used up. The last layer should be sauce and Parmesan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 20-30 minutes or until the surface is well-gratinated and golden.
7. Serve the Salernitan Zucchini Parmigiana hot or at room temperature, garnished with some fresh basil leaves.

Curiosity

The parmigiana is a dish that allows for many regional or personal variations. In the Salernitan version, you can often find the addition of sliced hard-boiled eggs among the layers. This dish is also excellent the day after, when the flavors have had more time to meld together.