Great vegetable side dishes can be hard to come by, but this easy vegetarian zucchini casserole is a true winner. Simple to make and loaded with the Italian flavors everyone adores — garlic, tomatoes, herbs and Parmesan cheese — it's a terrific addition to your dinner table. Cheesy and topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, even kids will happily devour this dish.
If you’ve got a ton of zucchini from your garden at the end of summer (as anyone who has ever grown zucchini can understand), this casserole is an excellent way to use it up. At other times of the year, you can use store-bought zucchini or simply substitute winter squash. Delicate squash is ideal since it doesn’t need to be peeled, but you may need to add 10 or 15 minutes to the cooking time before removing the foil.
Italian Zucchini Casserole
Italian Zucchini Casserole
6
10 minutes
46 minutes
56 minutes
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the zucchini from the skillet using a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir the reserved zucchini into the mixture in the skillet, and then transfer the whole mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the panko and Parmesan cheese over the top. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil cover and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Serve hot.