Parmesan Roasted Zucchini
on Jun 05, 2023
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For this easy parmesan roasted zucchini recipe, I toss sliced zucchini in a mix of olive oil and seasonings. Then I sprinkle them with grated Parmesan before roasting them in the oven until they turn light golden brown. This is one of those side dish recipes that you should have on repeat because it goes with so many other things.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is a great single vegetable side dish. As much as I love using more than one vegetable, you absolutely can just stick to one. Zucchini, especially during spring and summer, is a solid choice to be the featured veggie.
Pantry seasonings do all the work. I open my spice drawer to go beyond just salt and pepper and season the zucchini with onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. On its own zucchini is pretty plain, so it can be a blank canvas and take on all sorts of other flavors.
This is a 9-ingredient recipe and most of those are the spices. This recipe has simple a formula of zucchini + spices + Parmesan. That’s it. The only prep you have to do is slice the zucchini and grate the cheese.
What is Zucchini
Technically zucchini is a fruit, but we treat it like a vegetable. Zucchini is a type of summer squash that’s from the same family as yellow squash. One of the best things about zucchini is the you can prep it and cook in so many ways for both for sweet and savory recipes such as:
Roasting: Toss diced or sliced zucchini in olive oil, salt and pepper. Then spread it across a large baking sheet. At 425 degrees F, it will take about 30 minutes or so to roast and brown at the edges. And you can add some crunch with panko breadcrumbs like I do for this Yellow Squash and Roasted Zucchini recipe.
Sautéing: Zucchini can be diced and sautéed. Or you can use a spiralizer to cut it into zucchini noodles for a low carb, quick cooking version of pasta. It helps to salt it first to remove some of the moisture before you sauté it. That’s what I do for this Zucchini Noodle Cacao e Pepe.
Raw: You can even leave zucchini raw and slice it super thin to create a ribbon salad. I make a Zucchini Salad with pine nuts, feta and a simple vinaigrette.
Baking: When you bake with shredded zucchini, make sure to squeeze out as much water as you can. Then you won’t end up with a dense crumb. These Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins made with maple syrup and Greek yogurt turn out light and fluffy.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Zucchini should feel firm and have no soft spots. The skin should be smooth and medium to dark green. You can make this recipe with yellow squash or a combination of both.
- Dried seasonings: The recipe calls for a blend of onion powder, garlic powder red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.
- Parmesan: Grated, this cheese melts right into the zucchini helping it brown and giving it so much flavor.
- Olive oil: For the best taste, use high quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Parsley: When the zucchini finishes roasting, I sprinkle it with fresh herbs. Parsley is always a good choice, but you can also use basil or chives.
How To Make Parmesan Roasted Zucchini
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with a baking sheet inside. This is a simple trick to maximize browning right when the veggies hit the pan and to avoid soggy zucchini.
1. Make the spice mix. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil.
2. Toss the zucchini rounds in the spiced olive oil in a large bowl making sure they are all coated.
3. Carefully arrange the zucchini slices on the pre-heated sheet pan. They should not be overlapping. Sprinkle the zucchini with Parmesan cheese.
4. Roast the zucchini until it is golden brown and tender in the middle. This will take 30-35 minutes. The cheese will melt quickly. Garnish the roasted zucchini with chopped parsley before serving.
Serving
Roasted zucchini is one of those sides that can go with almost anything. The seasonings and Parmesan cheese make this recipe fit with other dishes with Italian flavors. Pair it with pastas like Fresh Herb Pappardelle, Burst Tomato Pasta, Arugula Pasta, Lemon Garlic Mushroom Spaghetti or Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce. It’s also a good side dish for proteins like roasted or grilled chicken and fish.
Leftovers
Roasted zucchini is best when you eat it warm. If you do have leftovers, you can reheat them in a 350-degree F oven. They will be softer than when they were freshly roasted. You also can eat leftover zucchini cold in a salad. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 to 4 days.
FAQs
You don’t have to salt zucchini before you roast it into the oven. That’s because roasting is a dry way of cooking it with hot air. When you are sautéing zucchini, you should salt it because the steam from the pan makes it more likely to turn out soggy.
Do not line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. It’s best for the zucchini to make direct contact with the hot metal of the pan.
More Zucchini Recipes
Best Healthy Zucchini Recipes
Baked Zucchini Fries
Roasted Zucchini Tomato Lentil Salad
30-Minute Tomato Zucchini Orzo
Zucchini Corn Fritters
Balsamic Zucchini Tomato Bake
Zucchini Squash Casserole
Did you make this zucchini recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below. Thanks!
Parmesan Roasted Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with a sheet pan inside.
- In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil.
- Place the zucchini in a large bowl. Pour in the oil mixture tossing to coat the slices.
- Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. Place the zucchini in a single layer making sure that none of the slices are overlapping. Sprinkle the zucchini with the Parmesan.
- Roast for 30-35 minutes until the zucchini is golden brown.
- Top with chopped parsley before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this zucchini!
I couldn’t get the mixture to stick to the zucchini. I tried it dry, and it did stick. So, what did I do wrong? Or what could I have done to correct my problem. My zucchini was cold just out of the fridge.
Hi Michael. Maybe try patting your zucchini slices with a towel to soak up any moisture. Sometimes when I cut zucchini I see little drops of water on the slices, which could make the oil mixture not able to really coat the zucchini.
Good ideas & easy
This was so delicious I made it twice last week at my husband’s request. The second time I made it I added about 1/2 tsp of oregano. I also add more cheese as the roasted cheese on the pan is yummy.
Loved it! Next time I will double recipe.
Loving 🥰 It
Could you do this in an air fryer?
I don’t have an air fryer, so I haven’t made this recipe using one.