One Note: the sauce for this appetizer is amazing and can be served with pasta for a side or main dish. It is A LOT of work to make. So – if you’re in a rush, you can definitely buy a marinara dipping sauce that all will love – and it will likely be saltier and meet the expectations of unsuspecting guests who don’t know what they are missing.
Ingredients
- Sauce:
- 3 medium red bell peppers
- 2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1/2 cup (1/2-inch) cubed French bread baguette, crusts removed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked almonds
- 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 large garlic clove
- Zucchini:
- 3 large zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup egg substitute
- Cooking spray
Preparation
1. Preheat broiler.
2. To prepare sauce, cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves and tomatoes, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten bell peppers with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop, reserving any liquid.
3. Combine bell peppers, reserved liquid, tomatoes, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
4. Preheat oven to 400°.
5. To prepare zucchini, cut 1 zucchini in half crosswise; cut each half lengthwise into 8 wedges. Repeat procedure with remaining zucchini. Combine breadcrumbs, panko, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Dip zucchini in egg substitute; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place zucchini on a wire rack coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat zucchini with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with sauce.
Nutritional Information
- Amount per serving
- Calories: 170
- Calories from fat: 30%
- Fat: 5.6g
- Saturated fat: 1.3g
- Monounsaturated fat: 2.5g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 1.3g
- Protein: 8.4g
- Carbohydrate: 23.4g
- Fiber: 3.9g
- Cholesterol: 3mg
- Iron: 1.9mg
- Sodium: 434mg
- Calcium: 107mg