Roasted Parmesan Zucchini
This roasted Parmesan zucchini is a quick and easy side dish. Fresh zucchini is coated in olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and then roasted until tender and the cheese is golden. Roasted zucchini is a dish that goes with so many main dishes and is a delicious way to eat more veggies.
It might not win first place in the beautiful side dish pageant, but what this roasted Parmesan zucchini lacks in looks it makes up for in flavor. And that’s what really matters, right? Beauty is so overrated.
And it’s an excellent way to use up the bounty of zucchini you may find yourself with this summer. Whether it’s friendly neighbors offloading their garden-fresh zucchini on your doorstep or your own inability to restrain yourself at the farmers’ market, somehow it seems we all end up with more than we know what do with. So, here is your solution: you can roast it.
It’s simple with just a few ingredients and easy to make in just a few steps. It’s so delicious you might just eat the whole pan yourself. I speak from experience and that experience was a great one.
Ingredients
- Zucchini
- Olive oil
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Black pepper
I think grated parm works best because it’s easier to coat the zucchini with it. If you use shredded it tends to fall off and you end up with most of it on the sheet pan when it’s all said and done.
For the zucchini, I like to cut it into sticks:
- First, slice it in half and then slice each half lengthwise in half so you have four parts.
- Slice each part into thirds or fourths so you have a bunch of sticks when you’re done.
How to Roast Zucchini
Put all of your zucchini sticks in a large bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the top and then sprinkle the grated parm and pepper over the top. Gently toss the zucchini until the sticks are evenly coated in the olive oil and cheese.
Place the sticks on a baking sheet in an even layer. Make sure they have space in between so they aren’t crowded. If they are packed in together they will end up steaming and end up really mushy.
Check the bowl you tossed them in. See the extra cheese at the bottom? Go ahead and sprinkle it over the sticks on the pan.
Roast the zucchini at 400°F for 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and carefully flip the sticks over. Roast them for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until they are tender and the cheese is golden brown.
You may have crispy Parmesan clusters on the pan and, if you do, life is about to be amazing. Just place the roasted zucchini on your plate and sprinkle the crunchies over the top as a garnish.
This roasted Parmesan zucchini recipe serves four as a side dish or one as a main dish if you’re like me and just eat it all straight from the pan (← not kidding).
Happy roasting!
More Easy Side Dishes
PrintRoasted Parmesan Zucchini
This roasted Parmesan zucchini is a quick and easy side dish. Fresh zucchini is coated in olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and then roasted until tender and the cheese is golden.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini, cut into sticks (see note)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (see note)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Place the zucchini sticks in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and toss the zucchini to coat it evenly. Add the cheese and toss again to coat the zucchini.
- Place the zucchini in an even layer on the baking sheet. If you have leftover cheese in the bowl sprinkle it over the top of the zucchini.
- Bake the zucchini for 15 minutes, flip them over and bake them for five to ten minutes longer or until the cheese is golden brown and the zucchini are cooked through.
Notes
To cut the zucchini into sticks, first slice one zucchini in half. Slice each half lengthwise so you have four parts. Slice each part lengthwise into thirds or fourths, depending on how wide it is, so you end up with sticks.
This recipe works best with grated cheese instead of shredded cheese. The grated cheese sticks to the zucchini better. If you only have shredded, you can run it through a food processor or just use your knife to chop it so it looks more like grated cheese.
A note about salt – I don’t add any because the cheese is already salty. If you want it a little saltier I recommend sprinkling kosher salt over the top after the zucchini comes out of the oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 112
- Sugar: 0.1g
- Sodium: 116.5mg
- Fat: 9.3g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3.8g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 5.6g
- Cholesterol: 4.8mg
Keywords: roasted zucchini, parmesan zucchini, baked zucchini
