This baked zucchini is so easy to make, covered in a light coating of crunchy breadcrumbs and Parmesan! This veggie is at its best roasted in a hot oven.

Oh hey, it’s the vegetable of the season: zucchini! There are so many creative ways to use this veggie, from casserole to chocolate cake. One of our new favorites though, is this baked zucchini! It’s the opposite of soggy or slimy: coat this tasty veggie lightly with breadcrumbs and a little Parmesan cheese. Even better, it’s not so labor intensive as zucchini fries (where you dip in flour and egg): so you get the best of both worlds! Pop it in the oven and it’s a tasty and easy side dish for summer meals. Here’s what to do!

Want a quicker way to cook zucchini? Try Perfect Sauteed Zucchini.

How to season baked zucchini

Here’s the thing about this green vegetable. Zucchini contains over 90% water. Wow! Not only does it give off a lot of water when it cooks, it needs quite a bit of seasoning. Ever bitten into a zucchini and it tastes watery and bland? This is exactly what we don’t want. Here are the seasonings that will cover your zucchini in the best savory Mediterranean flavors:

• Dried oregano
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Italian style bread crumbs
• Grated Parmesan cheese

There are a few things to note about these breadcrumbs (you can also skip them if desired). Here’s what to know!

Use Italian Panko or breadcrumbs, or this substitute

This recipe uses Italian style Panko or breadcrumbs, not plain. What’s the difference? Italian breadcrumbs are made with seasonings and salt. This gives them quite a bit of extra flavor when you use them. Italian breadcrumbs and panko are easy to find at most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, here’s a substitute:

• Use 1/2 regular panko or make homemade breadcrumbs.
• Mix in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Because you’re already adding Italian-style seasonings to the zucchini, you won’t lose much without the seasonings in the breadcrumbs.

Don’t want to use breadcrumbs in your baked zucchini? No problem.

Not into breadcrumbs? Or do you eat a gluten-free diet? You can absolutely make baked zucchini without them. Here’s what to do:

• Omit the breadcrumbs.
• Toss the zucchini with grated Parmesan cheese after baking!

As a note: there are lots of gluten-free breadcrumbs or Panko on the market these days, so you can use those to make this recipe gluten-free as well.

Grated vs shredded Parmesan cheese

For some reason, even after all this time of cooking for a living I have a hard time remembering the difference between shredded and grated Parmesan cheese. Here’s what you need for this recipe:

• Grated Parmesan cheese: This is the powdery cheese that looks like snow! You can use either the shaker can or the or the containers. This is what you’ll need in this recipe, because it integrates into the texture of the bread crumbs.
• Shredded Parmesan cheese: Shredded Parmesan cheese looks like little sticks of Parmesan. It’s great for garnishing salads and soups. You could use it here in a pinch, but it has a different look. See Roasted Zucchini and Squash.

How to make roasted / baked zucchini: a few tips!

Here are a few tips for making this baked zucchini, aka roasted zucchini! Alex and I tried making zucchini fries and realized that they were a bit time intensive. You have to dip the zucchini in flour and egg before the breadcrumbs, and it ends up all gummy and messy. (If you have a great zucchini fries method, let us know!) So for this baked zucchini, we were inspired to make it like fries but without the fuss. You’ll get a light coating of bread crumbs for a little crunch, but they’re not fully coated like fries. Here’s what to know:

• Mix some breadcrumbs with oil-coated zucchini first. Not all of them will stick to the zucchini: that’s ok! The same is true when you place them on the baking sheet. So…
• Move any breadcrumbs that fall onto the baking sheet to the top of the zucchini. Just quickly move any piles of breadcrumbs to the top of the zucchini. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
• Finish by sprinkling with more dry breadcrumbs & Parm. This gets another fresh coating of crumbs on top.
• Bake until just tender (keep an eye on it). The bake time will depend on exactly how thin the zucchini is: so keep an eye on it! You want it to be just tender: crisp and water, but not overly soggy. Take a taste if you need to assess doneness!

Main dishes that pair with baked zucchini

OK so you’ve got your crunchy, crispy baked zucchini: what to serve it with? It’s easiest to serve it with dishes that don’t use the oven. Here are a few great main dishes that pair well:

• Pasta. Try it with Pesto Spaghetti, Shrimp Pesto Pasta, or Creamy White Sauce Pasta.
• Seafood: Add to Grilled Tilapia, Perfect Grilled Salmon, Perfect Pan Fried Cod, or Pan Seared Scallops.
• Burgers: Try with a grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger or Best Veggie Burger.

This baked zucchini recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free bread crumbs or panko, or omit the breadcrumbs.

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More zucchini recipes

Summer is all about zucchini recipes! Here are some we recommend giving a try:

• Squash and Zucchini Casserole A total crowd pleaser! A cozy summer side dish, it’s topped with crunchy breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
• Grilled Zucchini and Squash This basic recipe shows you the grill time, temperature, and perfect seasoning blend!
• Best Zucchini Muffins Greek yogurt makes them ultra moist, and turbinado sugar adds a satisfying crunchy topping.

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes