Baked Zucchini Fries with Marinara Sauce

Recipe #1 - Baked Zucchini Fries! A healthier alternative to fried zucchini and just as delicious. This turned out pretty good, although next time I will slice them thinner, Steve found that it was too much zucchini taste for his liking. (I loved them however). But guess what...I still have zucchini left over! Don't be surprised if my next post also involves zucchini...

Ingredients Zucchini Fries

1 cup Unseasoned bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Parsley

1 cup All-purpose flour

2 Eggs, beaten

3 Medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 2-inch-long and 1/4-inch-thick pieces (peel first, if desired)

Directions for Marinara Sauce

Over medium head, heat about the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the crushed tomatoes and the all the spices including the salt and pepper.

Simmer over a low-medium heat for 25 - 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reached the desired consistency.

Directions for Zucchini Sauce

While the sauce is simmering, Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper. Place the flour in another medium bowl and the beaten eggs in a smaller bowl.

Dip the zucchini sticks first in the flour until lightly coated, then in the beaten eggs. Roll them in the bread-crumb mixture until well covered.

Transfer the zucchini pieces to a nonstick baking sheet and bake until the zucchini is tender but the coating is starting to crisp, about 20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, bump your oven temperature up to 425° degrees. This will help brown and crisp the coating.

Let the fries cool slightly before eating. Serve with the marinara sauce.

2 tablespoons of Extra-virgin olive oil

1 can of Crushed tomatoes (15 oz)

1/2 an Onion, finely chopped

1/2 tablespoon Basil

1 teaspoon Oregano

1 teaspoon Parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder(optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

(I also added in a some red pepper flakes to spice it up a little)

Ingredients for Marinara Sauce

riously...I do, buying in bulk saves us trips to the city. On a recent trip to Costco we bough a butt-load of zucchini. I've been trying to come up with creative ways to eat it all before it goes bad. 

I love Costco. Se