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Easy baked zucchini parmesan skillet recipe – cheesy baked zucchini loaded with marinara, mozzarella, and parmesan flavor that takes just 30 minutes!
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Veggie Packed Zucchini and Parmesan Skillet
This zucchini parmesan skillet is bursting with flavor – tons of delicious melty cheese, sauteed garlic and zucchini, and it’s great on it’s own or spooned over pasta, rice, or cauliflower rice.
This skillet is one of my favorite ways to get my kids to eat vegetables – I hope your family loves it as much as we do!
This easy zucchini skillet is one of our favorite simple, easy, delicious weeknight meals – and it can be made completely keto!
While you will need to pay attention to sugars in your marinara sauce (find one with lower sugar to cut this recipe to under 10 carbs per serving), this meal can be a simple meat-free addition to your meal planning that works into your macros!
How To Store and Reheat Baked Zucchini Parmesan
To store leftovers, place zucchini parmesan in an airtight container with a tight fitting lid.
Keep in refrigerator for up to three days.
To reheat, bake in oven safe dish, covered, until piping hot.
Add more cheese on top for best results.
How to Make Baked Zucchini Parmesan
This baked zucchini parmesan is super simple and loaded with flavor – but it is best to follow a few steps for better flavor.
Brown Vegetables
While you can skip this and bake the entire dish without browning first, I strongly suggest browning vegetables before baking in marainara sauce.
Browning zucchini and garlic will help to develop a rich, buttery flavor – and will help prevent the zucchini from taking on too much water from the marinara sauce and feeling soggy.
Brown vegetables in a pan on the stove with butter for not more than five minutes for the best flavor, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
We don’t want to cook zucchini thoroughly – that will be done when we bake the whole skillet – but just soften the flavors and get a little caramelization on the vegetables for maximum flavor.
Layer Cheese and Sauce
Once your vegetables have browned, it is time to sccop lotss of marinara sauce, fresh basil and oregano and other herbs, sprinkle parmesan cheese, and top with slices of mozzarella cheese.
Don’t be afraid of lots of fresh herb flavor – this dish is entirely meat free, and can benefit from lots of fresh basil and oregano flavor if you have any on hand.
I love the bright, fresh flavor a few cut herbs bring to this dish!
Bake
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes – until cheese is bubbling and melted.
For best flavor, pop under broiler for 3-5 minutes just before serving to let cheese crisp up a bit.
What to Serve With Baked Zucchini Parmesan
This zucchini parmesan is a delicious keto and low carb main dish or side – but if you’re not watching carbs, you can also serve it over pasta or rice!
Other Zucchini Dishes You’ll Love
If you’re like us and always have a ton of zucchini in summer, be sure to check out our favorite dishes, all loaded with our favorite summertime squash!
And be sure to check out my one pot cheesy taco skillet – which sneaks in tons of fresh zucchini into taco meat in a way kids NEVER notice!
My son is no fan of zucchini, but he loves this dish!
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Easy Baked Zucchini Parmesan Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp salted butter
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- 3 medium sized zucchini squash, halved and cut into half-moons (about 4 cups when cut)
- 1 tsp celtic sea salt, regular sea salt will work fine
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp italian herbs
- 24 oz bottle marinara sauce, watch sugars if keeping keto
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 8 oz mozzarella ball, sliced into thin slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add butter (or olive oil) to heavy nonstick pan and heat over medium high heat until melted and foamy.
- Add shallot and garlic to pan and cook 2 minutes, until fragrant and soft, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- When shallot is slightly browned and fragrant, add zucchini to pan and season well with salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Sauteé until just softened and browned, another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Season well with herbs, salt, and pepper.
- When zucchini has browned, remove from heat.
- Sprinkle parmesan over zucchini, toss to coat.
- Stir in marinara sauce over zucchini and onions.
- Layer slices of mozzarella over skillet.
- Bake 20 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and melted.
- Remove and top with fresh basil, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sweet C’s Favorite Recipes
If you love this baked zucchini parmesan, be sure to check out our reader favorites!
Each are tried and true viral reader hits that are full of flavor your family will love!
An established and well-loved favorite! I have been making this recipe for several years and have told countless people about it; I direct them right to this page. This recipe is so easy, versatile, inexpensive to make and above all.. it is so delicious. ?
Thank you! I really appreciate you sharing the recipe with other people too!
It would be helpful if you would list the amount of zucchini needed in terms of cups. Saying “three medium sized zucchini” is very subjective. I made the recipe and although it tasted good, it was very “soupy.” I have no idea if I used the right amount of zucchini since I only had at my disposal a couple of large zucchinis that were homegrown. I’ve never purchased a zucchini, so I have no idea what a “medium-sized” one is. And “medium” to one person might be a different size to another person.
Thats a very good point! I will remake this and update it, thank you for the feedback!