Zucchini Parmesan

Growing up, my favorite food was lasagna. I think I actually ate something involving tomato sauce, pasta, and cheese nearly every day of my childhood. When we started GAPS we cut out all dairy, nightshades, and grains so that really put a damper on my favorite food!

Over time we found we could handle cultured dairy, and eventually we were able to introduce some aged cheese. (Mozzarella and ricotta are still out on full GAPS). We also introduced tomatoes and peppers successfully! We’ve done lasagna with thin slices of zucchini but the texture really doesn’t work for me. While this dish is not lasagna, it satisfies me the same way.

The Sauce

(Makes about twice what you’ll need)
Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground pork
• 1 Tbsp fennel seed
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 24 oz Organic strained tomatoes (we used Bionaturae)
• 7 oz Organic tomato paste (we used Bionaturae)
• 1 pint home canned tomato sauce (from Canning for a New Generation) OR one more 7 oz jar of tomato paste plus 1/2 cup stock
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional: 1/2 cup dry red wine
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix all the seasonings except the basil and bay leaf into the ground pork.
2. Brown the pork, onion, and garlic.
3. Add the strained tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce, basil, bay leaf, and wine.
4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors (minimum of 10 minutes).
5. Salt and pepper to taste.

Zucchini Parmesan

Ingredients

• Sauce from above
• 3-4 medium zucchini
• Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Directions

1. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise and lay, cut side up, covering the bottom of a 9″x13″ Pyrex baking dish.
2. Brush the zucchini with ghee or pork drippings.
3. Place under broiler, about 2 inches from the element. The top of the zucchini will start to hiss as it bubbles up and browns. Watch it closely so that it doesn’t burn.
4. Cover the zucchini with a later of the sauce about an inch thick. You’ll have lots of sauce left over for future meals.
5. Sprinkle the top with a hard, aged cheese like parmesan or asiago.
6. Return the dish to the broiler, and cook until the cheese melts and just starts to brown.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday, Gluten-free Wednesday, Seasonal Recipe Round-Up – Tomatoes.

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