Meet your new favorite side dish: baked zucchini slices! These quick and crispy oven-roasted zucchini are generously topped with melted and crispy Parmesan cheese. The perfect addition to any meal, they’re versatile, budget-friendly and guaranteed to please even the pickiest eaters.
Zucchini is one of those ingredients that to me, is just kind of meh. It doesn’t really have a ton of flavor on its own and it’s generally super watery. So how can we make it delicious? Add cheese, of course!
Why this recipe works
Cutting the zucchini into rounds that are about ½″ thick means you’ll have perfectly tender zucchini with crispy Parmesan cheese. The trick here is a super hot oven and way more cheese than you may think. Trust the process!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Zucchini of course! When choosing zucchini, look for ones that are similar in size and don’t have any bruises or blemishes.
- For the seasonings, you’ll toss the zucchini in olive oil and then a spice mixture of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, oregano and salt. If you don’t have oregano, you could also use Italian seasoning, thyme or herbs de provence.
- Finally, grated Parmesan cheese is the star of the show. This is what makes this side so savory and delicious. I haven’t tested this with pre-grated Parmesan cheese (I always use my microplane grater).
Frequently asked questions
No, you don’t need to peel zucchini when eating it raw or cooked.
After giving the zucchini squash a good rinse with cold water, remove and discard the stem. The rest of the zucchini is both delicious and versatile. Slice it into strips for grilling, coins or rounds (like for this roasted zucchini recipe), or even half-moons. You can also grate zucchini for fritters, or use a mandolin or spiralizer for eating it raw in a salad.
Zucchini has a really high water content, so it’s easy for it to get soggy. The key when roasting or baking zucchini is to not overcook the zucchini, you want it to be tender not soggy.
Step by step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss zucchini with olive oil, oregano, and garlic powder in a large bowl until zucchini is evenly coated in spices. Next, add parmesan cheese and toss to coat.
- Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 5 minutes until zucchini is almost tender. Turn on the broiler and cook for another 2 minutes until the Parmesan cheese is bubbling and browned.
More zucchini recipes
Do you find yourself with tons of zucchini on hand? Here are some of my favorite ways to cook zucchini.
- Puff Pastry Zucchini Tart
- Corn and Zucchini Fritters
- One-pot Couscous with Shrimp, Zucchini and Corn
- Grilled Zucchini Salad
Baked Zucchini Slices
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini, sliced in ¼" rounds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp oregano, or thyme, Italian seasoning or herbs de provence
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss zucchini with olive oil, oregano, and garlic powder in a large bowl until zucchini is evenly coated in spices. Next, add parmesan cheese and toss to coat.
- Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 5 minutes until zucchini is almost tender. Turn on the broiler and cook for another 2 minutes until the Parmesan cheese is bubbling and browned.
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