Cheesy Zucchini Parmigiana (Parmigiana Bianca)

slice of parmigiana bianca on a blue plate.

No ratings yet

Cheesy Zucchini Parmigiana (Parmigiana Bianca)

Parmigiana Bianca celebrates zucchini season with roasted zucchini ribbons, creamy spring onion béchamel, cheese, and basil—a delicious Italian treat!

Prep Time45

Cook Time40

Total Time1 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 819kcal

Author: Ninon Michels

Equipment

Whisk
mandolin
Baking Brush

Ingredients

For the béchamel sauce

1 spring onion thinly chopped
4 cups milk
⅓ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon green pepper

For the layers

2 large organic zucchini or 3 medium
5 ½ cups Caciocavallo Silano cheese, grated (alternatively, use Provolone cheese)
1 cup Grana Padano cheese, grated
2 cups fresh basil leaves
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the béchamel sauce

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
When the butter is bubbling nicely, add the thinly chopped spring onion and cook until translucent.
Then, add the flour all at once and stir energetically with a whisk until well incorporated about 2 minutes.
Add ⅓ of the milk and stir.
Add another ⅓ of the milk and keep stirring.
Add the rest of the milk and stir continuously for about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt and a pinch of green pepper to taste.
Set aside while roasting the zucchini.

Roast the zucchini slices

Preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C).
Wash and cut the edges of the zucchini.
Using a mandolin or a sharp long knife, slice the zucchini lengthwise, into 0.2 inches (0,5cm) thick slices.
Line the zucchini slices onto a parchment-lined oven tray.
Brush each slice of zucchini with extra-virgin olive oil (or massage them with your fingers if you don’t have a baking brush).
Roast them in the oven until golden (about 15 minutes), then set them aside.
Repeat the process as you will need to make several batches to roast all the zucchini slices.

Assemble the Parmigiana

Turn the temperature of your oven down to 350°F (180°C ).
Grease a 10 x 13 inches (35 x 26cm) baking dish with extra-virgin olive oil.
Layer slices of roasted zucchini to cover the entire bottom of the dish.
Layer the creamy spring onion béchamel on top.
Add a generous layer of grated Caciocavallo Silano cheese.
Add a generous handful of fresh basil leaves.
Repeat the operation one time.
Finish by sprinkling all the grated Grana Padano cheese on top.
Cook in the oven for 40 minutes until golden and super fragrant.
Sprinkle a generous handful of fresh basil leaves just before serving. Enjoy immediately with a glass of chilled Fiano di Avellino!

Notes

Adding flour all at once to melted butter is called a “roux”. It is a classic French cuisine technique used to thicken a sauce. Make sure the butter and flour mixture cooks for 2 minutes and bubbles nicely before adding the milk. It will make your béchamel deeper in taste and extra creamy!

Nutrition