Crispy Courgette Fries with Marinara Sauce

Courgette has a lot of natural moisture in it, so it can be challenging to get crispy results when oven roasting it. For this reason, small, firm courgettes work best for this recipe. As a precaution, you may also want to remove excess seeds prior to dredging each piece in the seasoned almond or coconut flour.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

½ c. almond (or coconut) flour
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. onion powder
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. Italian seasoning
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 large eggs
2 T. water
1 c. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 small, firm courgettes, halved and cut into ¼-inch thick slices

Marinara Sauce:

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. dried oregano
½ t. red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 8-oz can crushed tomatoes
¼ c. fresh basil, thinly sliced
¼ c. fresh parsley, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 400°F and place a metal rack inside a large, rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
2. In a pie pan or shallow bowl, combine the almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Set aside.

3. In a second pie pan or shallow bowl, gently whisk together the eggs and water until frothy and set aside.
4. Add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese to a third bowl and set aside.
5. Dredge courgette pieces in the seasoned almond flour before dipping into the egg mixture. Allow excess egg to drain off each piece before transferring to the bowl with the Parmesan cheese. Turn to evenly coat each piece of courgette before transferring to the prepared rack. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
6. Place baking sheet into preheated oven and roast until golden and crisp, around 20-25 minutes. Flip the fries once halfway through the cooking time.
7. While the courgette is roasting, combine olive oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant, around 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
8. Reduce heat and add the crushed tomatoes and cook until bubbly and slightly reduced, around 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh basil and parsley. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.

When ready, remove courgette fries from oven and serve immediately with herbed marinara sauce. Enjoy!

*NOTE: For my American friends courgette is what you call zucchini