Easy Bake Zucchini Parmesan With Garlic Recipe

This easy bake zucchini parmesan with garlic recipe is a perfect Italian side dish to any meal or amazingly delicious as a main course! The sweet-sour taste of the tomatoes, along with the creamy cheesiness from the mozzarella and parmesan cheese will have pickiest of eaters coming back for more!

You know you have something good going when you go to check your zucchini plant and see a bunch of zucchini flowers! But then you see all those beautiful flowers being pollinated, and now a tiny bud of zucchini has started developing… correction, 6 tiny buds of zucchini have started developing, not to mention more flowers have bloomed, and then the feeling of overwhelm has set in!

What do you do with all those zucchini that are coming in all at once?! How much zucchini bread can you actually make and your family actually stomach?! Because after all, isn’t that the answer? Maybe, until now. My solution–Zucchini parmesan! The perfect summer dish! A perfect mild flavor even for the picky eater. I guarantee this will have all of your family members coming back for more! 

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This recipe, I have to dedicate to my sweet mama. I try to make it every time she comes to town to visit. It’s one of her favorites. It is the best way to polish off at least 6 medium-sized zucchini or 2 giant zucchini, which I did, and the rest can go to zucchini bread, or to your farmstand, which I’ve chosen to do! Did I mention that I have a farmstand? Anyhow, It is our favorite way to add it as an easy side dish, or maybe even a main dish on a busy farm day!  Now with that being said, this recipe is an easy recipe but can be a bit time consuming. But I promise it will be worth it!

Tips For Your Zucchini Parmesan Casserole

Zucchini has a lot of water in it. You may want to slice your zucchini thin, sprinkle salt on it, and let it sit for 30 minutes to release the water. Then blot it with towels or paper towels to remove the water. 

You might be able to, depending on your preference, skip the first tip in order to make the casserole faster. I did. But keep in mind this will give you a little more juice in your sauce. Which we prefer.  

Roasting your sliced zucchini is a must! This will keep your noodles from becoming soggy! Whether you decide to skip the first tip or not, roasting is necessary because you want that zucchini to not only release extra water, but to soften a bit more to make your casserole extra delicious!

Feel free to add your extra spin on it! Basil leaves, fresh herbs, roasted garlic, fire roasted tomatoes, or ground meat would be fabulous ideas to make this your own!

I personally find that if I use a glass Pyrex dish, I don’t need to spray it or line it with parchment paper. Just a dab of marinara sauce will do the trick to keep it from sticking!

I use shredded parmesan cheese between each single layer but feel free to add a parmesan mixture or extra mozzarella for a more cheesier dish!

I prefer to use vegetables such as fresh onion or fresh garlic, but in a pinch I’ve been known to substitute with garlic powder or onion powder.

The zucchini noodles can also be substituted with eggplant to make eggplant parmesan! Just follow the same steps for success!

I cut my zucchini slices into rectangle pieces but feel free to be creative! Kids are more tempted to try fun shapes such as: zucchini fries and zucchini rounds. Who cares what the zucchini looks like so long as they are eating fresh zucchini and taking in all those minerals! 

The title says “Garlic”, do I have to add that? My friend, no! Omit that if you don’t like it! We love garlic in this family, so the more the merrier, but I do understand it’s violent flavor isn’t for everyone!

What You Will Need

11 X 7 casserole dish

Immersion blender or blender 

Cookie sheet (to dry out the zucchini slices)

Small saucepan

Ingredients for Baked Zucchini Parmesan

6 medium fresh zucchini

1 ½ cups of parmesan or more if you desire!

16 ounce package of sliced mozzarella

For the Sauce

1 tsp of salt plus more for salting the zucchini

3 cans of 12 oz chopped tomato 

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon of butter

1 whole yellow onion chopped

4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Dash of black pepper (optional)

3 cans of whole tomatoes

Easy Bake Zucchini Parmesan With Garlic Recipe

Drawing out the Moisture From the Zucchini

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Slice the zucchini lengthwise into ¼ inch slices.

Place sliced zucchini on a large baking sheet.

Sprinkle salt on zucchini.

Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake zucchini for 20 to 25 minutes until soft.

This will also help to draw out moisture.

Making the Marinara Sauce

While the zucchini is baking, make the marinara sauce. Place butter in the sauce pan and heat on medium heat.

Sauté the onions and garlic, until almost translucent.

Add 3 cans of whole stewed tomatoes in a sauce pot.

Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Use an immersion blender to blend sauce thoroughly.

Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Putting Together the Zucchini Parmesan Casserole

Once the sliced zucchini has baked and is cool enough to handle, line the bottom of the casserole dish with a layer of zucchini going in the same direction.

Add a couple of spoonfuls of sauce to cover the zucchini, then sprinkle some shredded parmesan on the sauce.

Add another layer of zucchini, this time placing it in the opposite direction. For example, if your first layer was placed horizontally, then your next layer will be placed vertically, alternating there after, all while adding the sauce then the cheese.

Continue with this pattern until you are out of zucchini noodles.

Make sure you save enough sauce to cover the last layer of zucchini noodles.

Then, add sliced mozzarella to the top.

Baking the Zucchini Casserole

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

When done, turn the broiler on and roast the dish for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese has browned.

Place on a baking rack to cool.

Enjoy!

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