Do you ever just stare into the pantry or refrigerator completely dumbfounded with no idea how the items inside are supposed to nourish you? Sometimes I am just at a complete loss for what I want & while yes I cook to nourish myself, I also cook for this website & social media so I want to cook things you guys are interested in. So when I just don’t know what to do I pose the question to the IG community & let them vote. This time the choice was between zucchini or spaghetti squash. That’s it. Pour spaghetti squash. Apparently, not a loved item with my followers. Zucchini was the clear favorite. Now I just had to come up with a recipe.
I thought I would make a ratatouille, but then I thought that wasn’t zucchini focused enough so I came up with this bake. It is super simple to put together & looks really pretty with all the layers & crispy golden brown bites. If you are more of a cheese fan feel free to up the cheese amounts & make it more like a gratin. Serve it up alongside your favorite main course or enjoy on its own.
Herbed Zucchini Bake
Ingredients
- 3 med-large zucchini
- 1 tsp salt to prepare zucchini, see notes
- 2 tbsp vegan butter (1 tbsp melted + 1 tbsp diced)
- 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, divided
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano, divided
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme divided
- 1/2 tsp dried basil, divided
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped optional
Herbed Panko Cheese Crumble
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs see notes
- 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- 1/8 cup vegan mozzarella
- half of the herbs/spices listed above see notes
Instructions
- Slice the zucchini into even rounds. If you have a mandolin or food processor I recommend using. You want as uniform a slice as you can get to ensure the zucchini cooks evenly. Place the zucchini in a colander & add the salt tossing well. Let the zucchini sit for at least 15 minutes for the salt to extract moisture from the zucchini. Lay the zucchini rounds on a towel & pat dry to remove the extracted moisture.
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Arrange the zucchini slices in your baking dish in a circular or row pattern. The zucchini slices should overlap one another (similar to a ratatouille).
- Melt 1 tbsp of vegan butter & add half of the dried herbs/spices to the butter stirring well. Spoon or pour the melted butter over the rows of zucchini.
- In a small food processor or blender, add all of the panko crumble ingredients & pulse until it reaches a sand like texture.Sprinkle the crumble over the top of the zucchini slices to form a nice crust. You may want to "lift" some slices here & there to get the crumble to go in between slices. Place the remaining diced butter scattered along the top of the crumble so that it melts & helps to crisp the panko turn it a golden brown.
- Place in the oven uncovered & bake for 15 minutes. For the remaining 3 minutes of cooking switch the oven to broil & place the zucchini on the upper rack so that it gets those crunchy bits. Watch closely so that it does not burn. Remove from oven & let cool for a minute before serving.
