Hey there! Are you sick of me posting recipes revolving around zucchini and summer squash? I am 😉 This will be the last one- promise! I have just about used up all of the zucchini and summer squash that I grew in my garden, which is a really good feeling!

Both my mom and her friend, Jean (not to be confused with her other friend, Jeanne, haha), suggested that I make zucchini parmesan back when I posted my Summer Squash and Zucchini Lasagna recipe a few weeks ago, so I decided it was finally time to do that! I had a perfect zucchini to use (not too small and not obscenely big) and also decided to cut open one of the HUGE summer squash to see if it would be edible; good news- it was!

Even though the zucchini and summer squash parm would have been enough if they were just placed atop pasta, I’m trying to up my protein (still trying to figure out what protein powder to buy!) so I decided to make a meat sauce, too. Now, when I say “make a meat sauce” all I really mean is browning ground turkey and adding it to a jar of store-bought sauce. I swear, I will make REAL homemade sauce, but when you’re in a time crunch in the middle of the week, cheating a little is necessary. I also decided to add MORE veggies to the sauce because we can never have too many veggies, right? I put together the meat and veggie sauce right away so that it could simmer on the stove while I prepared the rest of the meal; this is a great way to enhance all the flavors and thicken everything up so it feels like you’re really eating homemade sauce.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Parmesan with a Veggie and Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground turkey (or beef, if you prefer)
• 1 large zucchini
• 1 large summer squash
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 a box of whole wheat spaghetti
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/2-1 cup panko bread crumbs
• fresh mozzarella cheese
• herbs/seasonings

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the back. While that is cooking, chop your veggies and cook them until they are mostly cooked (about 5-8 minutes). Remove from the pan and add the ground turkey to that same pan and cook until the meat is no longer pink.

2. Add 2 cups of marinara sauce, 1/2 cup of white wine, veggies and ground turkey to a pot. Add about 2 tbsp of Oregano, in addition to any other herbs/seasonings you may want to add (sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, etc.). Keep the heat low and let the sauce simmer while you prepare the zucchini and summer squash medallions.

3. Slice your zucchini and summer squash into 1/4-1/2 inch slices (you want them to be thick enough to feel “meaty”, for a lack of better words).

4. Whisk the eggs together in 1 bowl and add the panko bread crumbs to another. Take each piece of zucchini and summer squash and coat them in the eggs first and then the panko bread crumbs. Meanwhile, have a big pan (coated with EVOO) heating on the stove. I like to brown up each side of the medallions to “crisp” them up before baking them in the oven. I did about 3 minutes on each side.

5. Once they are all browned, layer them in a casserole dish, placing thin layers of mozzarella cheese in between layers (you can never have too much cheese!). Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes, or until the zucchini and summer squash are cooked. Broil at the end for a few minutes to brown up the cheese.

6. Place a serving of spaghetti on the bottom of a bowl, top with the veggie/meat sauce and then the zucchini and summer squash parmesan medallions. I also added some red pepper flakes because I love them!

This meal was delicious! There’s just something about eating veggies from your own garden that is really cool, and fresh mozzarella makes everything better 😉 Already looking forward to leftovers!

Questions for you: What’s growing the best in your garden this summer? What type of recipe would you like me to make next?? I’d love suggestions!