Parmigiana di Zucchine alla Napoletana

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg zucchini, sliced lengthways 5 mm thick
• 500 g Fiordilatte di Agerola, sliced, dried on kitchen paper for 2 hours before use
• 80 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• 500 g San Marzano tomatoes, fresh, barely cooked into a light sauce with garlic and basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves only
• 500 ml olive oil, for frying
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 10 g fine salt, for salting the zucchini

Method

1. 1
   Lay the zucchini slices in a colander, salt them evenly, and leave for 30 minutes. Pat each slice completely dry with kitchen paper — no surface moisture should remain. Separately, lay the Fiordilatte slices on kitchen paper and leave for 2 hours; press them gently and replace the paper as needed. The slices must feel dry to the touch before they enter the dish.
2. 2
   Make a barely-cooked tomato sauce: crush the San Marzano tomatoes by hand into a wide pan with the garlic and a few basil leaves. Cook over moderate heat for no more than 10 minutes — the sauce must remain light, not reduced or concentrated. It should smell of fresh tomato and basil, not of cooked-down sweetness.
3. 3
   Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep pan to 175 °C. Fry the zucchini slices in batches — do not crowd the pan. Fry until golden on both sides, not browned; zucchini fries faster than aubergine and must be watched closely. Drain each batch on kitchen paper. The slices should be golden, pliable, and carry a faint crust — this is the flavour foundation the dish depends on.
4. 4
   This is where the dish lives or dies: assemble the layers with restraint. Spread a thin film of tomato sauce across the base of the baking dish. Lay a single layer of fried zucchini, then a sparse scatter of Fiordilatte, a spoonful of tomato sauce — no more — a pinch of grated Parmigiano, a few basil leaves, and a pinch of dried oregano. Repeat until all ingredients are used, finishing with tomato sauce, Parmigiano, and basil. The tomato must be light between the layers: too much sauce drowns the zucchini's delicate sweetness entirely.
5. 5
   Bake at 180 °C for 20–25 minutes only. The surface should be lightly coloured and the edges just beginning to bubble; the interior must retain structure. Press the centre gently — it should feel set but yielding, not soft and collapsing. Remove from the oven.
6. 6
   Rest for 10 minutes before cutting. The layers settle and the Fiordilatte moves from stringy to creamy. Serve warm rather than hot — at this temperature the flavours of fried zucchini, milky cheese, and light tomato are fully integrated and distinct.