Roasted Zucchini
Roasted Zucchini is a delicious side dish that takes just minutes to prepare. This seasoned baked zucchini is one of the best easy zucchini recipes!
When you need a vegetable to serve with dinner and are short on time, this roasted zucchini comes to the rescue. This recipe is simple, requires few ingredients, and yields zucchini so delicious you’ll be tempted to eat the whole pan as soon as it comes out of the oven.
If the number of roasted vegetable recipes on my site is any indication, you may have guessed my love for roasted veggies.
- Roasted broccoli
- Roasted carrots
- Honey roasted sweet potatoes
- Green beans
- Brussels sprouts
- Roasted butternut squash
- Roasted cauliflower
- Roasted Potatoes
Some form of roasted vegetables makes it onto our dinner table at least once a week.
When you bake vegetables in the oven, their insides soften and their edges begin to caramelize… basically they become irresistible even to non-veggie lovers.
If you have an abundance of zucchini right now and need easy recipes to use it up, this baked zucchini is one of my favorite healthy zucchini recipes. It’s extremely versatile. Enjoy it as a side dish with almost any meal or serve it with eggs for breakfast.
Then try a few of these zucchini recipes including my newest air fryer zucchini fries for even more ways to make use of your zucchini bounty.
Why You’ll Love this Roasted Zucchini
- You can have it ready to go in the oven in just 5 minutes of prep time.
- It’s generously seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning – no boring zucchini here!
- This recipe can also be used to prepare other summer squash, such as yellow squash.
How to Pick and Store Zucchini
To pick the best fresh zucchini, look for zucchini that is small to medium in size. Larger zucchini are more watery and less flavorful. Look for zucchini that are a deep green color, with smooth skin that is free of blemishes. The stem should still be attached to the zucchini as this will help to keep it fresher for longer. When possible, choose zucchini that are heavy for their size.
Store zucchini loosely in an unsealed plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. I like to add a paper towel to the bag to soak up any moisture that might accumulate, which could lead to faster spoiling. Wait and wash zucchini right before you are ready to use it. Stored this way, fresh zucchini should last for about a week.
How to Bake Zucchini
- Cut the zucchini into 1-inch pieces (as I did here), thick rounds, or thick wedges. You do not need to peel zucchini, just trim off both ends.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent delicate zucchini from sticking to the pan as it roasts.
- Bake zucchini at a high temperature so that the outsides start to brown before the insides get mushy. I recommend 425° F, the maximum safe temperature for most parchment papers. If you decide to skip the parchment, heat your oven to 450°.
- Toss zucchini with olive oil and seasonings to add flavor. My favorite is a simple combination of salt, pepper and dried Italian seasoning. The Italian seasoning adds such delicious flavor to roasted zucchini.
- Spread the zucchini into an even layer, with a little space between the pieces. If the pieces are piled on top of each other they will steam, rather than roast, which leads to mushy zucchini.
- Gently toss the zucchini halfway through the baking time to help all sides cook evenly.
- Try not to over-bake zucchini. I recommend taking it out of the oven when it is just starting to soften. The zucchini will be very lightly browned in some spots.
Other Seasoning Ideas
To keep things interesting, try one or more of these seasoning ideas with this roasted zucchini recipe.
- Parmesan Cheese: Sprinkle zucchini with grated Parmesan cheese before baking.
- Garlic: Toss the zucchini with minced fresh garlic or garlic powder before baking.
- Other Herbs: Try dried oregano, thyme or rosemary. Or sprinkle on fresh herbs, such as thyme (before or after baking) or parsley (after baking).
- Lemon: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice after baking.
- Keep things simple with just olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roasted Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the zucchini into 1-inch pieces and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the zucchini and toss to evenly coat.
- Sprinkle on some salt and pepper (amount to your tastes) and sprinkle the dried Italian seasoning evenly over the zucchini. Toss the zucchini once more until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Spread the zucchini out so that it is in an even layer on the baking sheet, with some space between the pieces of zucchini.
- Bake zucchini in the preheated oven for 8 minutes and then gently toss with a spatula so that all sides of the zucchini will cook evenly. Spread the zucchini out again and bake for 4 to 7 minutes more, until zucchini is lightly browned in spots and slightly tender. Try not to over-bake the zucchini or it may become mushy. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Roasted zucchini is best eaten immediately after baking, but you can store leftover zucchini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave, in a skillet on the stove, or in the oven.
- Nutrition information does not include added salt, as that will vary depending on how much salt you use to season the zucchini.
Love the simplicity ☺️