Spaghetti with Crispy Zucchini

This Spaghetti with Crispy Zucchini is the perfect end-of-summer song! It doesn’t get much better than fresh summer zucchini coated in a crispy, cheesy breading piled high on top of spaghetti with fresh herbs. YUM!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of uncooked spaghetti

one 24-oz. jar of your favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce (I usually use about 2/3rds of a jar)

1 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch-thick rounds (about 2–3 cups)

1 egg

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)

1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup of some kind of cheese – I like shredded mozzarella and provolone, but fresh mozzarella slices are great and goat cheese is also amazing

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves for topping