Spicy Asiago Zucchini Fries

Okay. I know you’ve probably seen a billion different recipes for baked zucchini fries on the internet. But hear me out, okay?

Mine are different.

Mine are zesty.

Mine are…well, mine. I made up the recipe after receiving the world’s LARGEST zucchini from a friend at work. Seriously, this green gourd had to have been over two pounds and was about as wide and long as a small dog. I would walk into the kitchen at night and it would scare me because I thought there was an animal on my counter.

I only ended up using half of the humongous zucchini, and dicing up the other half and freezing it for later recipes. I know you’ve seen a ton of different parmesan crusted zucchini fried on Pinterest, so I wanted to use a different cheese on these.

Asiago! Bingo! That’s a great, hearty Italian cheese that is similar to Parmesan, but tastes so much different. I also added a ton of spices to the breading: garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and cayenne to kick it up a notch.

I’m also the type of person that likes their zucchini, well, al dente. I’m a huge fan of raw zucchini dipped in ranch, and when I have to cook the stuff, I cook barely cook it through. There’s nothing worse than goopy, slimey over-cooked zucchini, you know?

If you want to try a low-carb side dish of a different variety, then try these! I think my changes separate it from the pack of Pinterest posts.

Spicy Asiago Zucchini Fries

• Servings: 3-4
• Time: 25 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A zesty, low-carb, oven-fried zucchini fry.

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium-sized zucchini, cut into 1″ matchsticks (unpeeled)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. parsley

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, asiago, parmesan, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, basil, red pepper flakes and parsley.
2. Set up your dredging station: Dip a handful of zucchini sticks in egg wash and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet and continue with the rest of the zucchini sticks.
3. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn on broiler and broil until browned, about 3 minutes.
4. Serve with dipping sauce and garnished with parsley.

Step-By-Step Instructions

In a large bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, asiago, parmesan, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, basil, red pepper flakes and parsley.

Set up your dredging station: Dip a handful of zucchini sticks in egg wash and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place on a greased baking sheet and continue with the rest of the zucchini sticks. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn on broiler and broil until browned, about 3 minutes.