I’ve made Roasted Zucchini and Squash more times than I can count, and somehow it’s never made it onto my website. My friends assume it’s here. They go looking for it, can’t find it, and then text me. So here it is, finally, about a decade late.
I have a First Friday get-together every month around my fire pit (or at a restaurant when the weather doesn’t cooperate), and my friends call ahead to ask me if I’m making it. It goes with chicken, burgers, and whatever else you can think of.
I make it all summer long and then through fall, and I rarely get to bring home any leftovers from a potluck. It’s a super simple recipe: just zucchini, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes tossed in garlic-and-herb olive oil, then roasted under thick shreds of real Parmesan.
It goes with almost anything, which is why I keep making it. I’ve served it alongside Lemon Marinated Chicken Kebabs, Lemon Butter Pasta, and Pesto Salmon, just to name a few.
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Why Do You Salt Zucchini Before Roasting?
Zucchini and yellow squash are mostly water. If you cut them and put them straight into a hot oven, that water steams them in their own moisture instead of roasting them.
Salt draws the water to the surface, where it beads up and drips away. Pat off what’s left, and the squash can roast without getting soggy.
Thirty minutes of doing nothing makes all the difference in the world. (Yes, nothing. Go fold the laundry.)
Don’t salt the tomatoes. They aren’t holding the water that causes the problem, and salting them early turns them mushy.
Can You Use Fresh Herbs Instead of Dried?
Use dried herbs, and this is one of the few times I’ll tell you dried beats fresh. The herbs infuse into the oil in a way fresh ones don’t, and fresh herbs burn over 25 minutes at 400 degrees.
If you only have fresh herbs, save them as a finish right before serving. Throwing them in the oven will only char them and ruin that rich flavor.
Why Grate Your Own Parmesan?
Pre-shredded cheese comes coated in anti-caking agents so it won’t clump in the bag. Those same agents stop it from melting, so it sits on the vegetables looking dusty instead of turning golden.
I weigh out two ounces from a block because a half cup of something as fluffy as grated cheese varies depending on how you measure it. That said, no one has ever complained about me adding too much cheese to this dish.
Can You Make This Ahead?
You can slice and salt the squash and mix the oil a few hours ahead, then roast the veggies right before you serve. You can also roast them entirely ahead of time, since they’re as good at room temperature as they are warm.
This keeps for two days in an airtight container in the fridge. Past that, the texture just doesn’t hold up.
Reheat it in an air fryer at 350 degrees for five minutes to bring the edges back, or do the same in your oven. The microwave works, but it makes the squash softer than I like.
I’ll also eat it cold, standing in the fridge, and I wouldn’t blame you for doing the same.
Troubleshooting Roasted Zucchini and Squash
Your squash came out soggy instead of browned. You skipped the salting, or you crowded the pan. Salt and dry the slices, and spread them across two pans so nothing touches.
Some pieces turned to mush while others stayed raw. Your slices weren’t the same thickness. Take the extra minute to get them all as close to a quarter inch as you can.
Your garlic tastes scorched. You minced it instead of grating it, so the bigger pieces sat on top and burned. A microplane zester makes pieces small enough to encase in the oil.
My daughter asks for this one, which I mention only because the garlic and the browned cheese make it more appealing than the vegetables kids usually push around the plate. I’m not going to promise it will convert anybody, but it’s worth a try.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Roasted Zucchini and Squash
Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into quarter-inch rounds. Thinner rounds fall apart in the oven, and thicker ones won’t brown before the tomatoes collapse.
Use medium-sized squash for this, not the baseball bat that took over your garden. Big zucchini are mostly seeds, and you don’t get the same flavor or texture. Save those for Zucchini Bread and Zucchini Brownies, where you’re grating instead of slicing.
Lay the slices in a single layer on wire racks set over your jelly roll pans, then salt them. Use two pans so there’s enough surface area to pull the water out before you roast.
Grate the garlic into a small bowl, then whisk in the oil, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Grate it rather than mince it, or the bigger pieces sit on the surface and scorch.
Grate the Parmesan now too, on the large holes of your box grater (or my favorite tool, my rotary cheese grater that does all different sizes of shredding). Fine shreds turn to dust in a 400-degree oven, and thick ones melt into golden pockets.
Pat the slices dry after 30 minutes. You’ll see the water beaded on the surface, which tells you it worked.
Remove the racks, wipe the pans dry, lay down your silicone mats, and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the dried squash and halved tomatoes in the infused oil, coating every slice, then spread everything back across both pans in a single layer.
Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once partway through. You want the cheese and the edges of the squash browned and lightly crispy.
More Sides I Love to Make
Easy Italian Ratatouille
Lemon Roasted Broccoli
Chipotle Grilled Corn
Summer Cucumber Salad
What are you serving this with?
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Zucchini and Squash
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini (about 2 medium), sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 pound yellow squash (about 2 medium), sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese grated on large holes
Instructions
- Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into 1/4 inch rounds. Arrange in a single layer on wire racks set over two jelly roll pans and sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt. Don’t salt the tomatoes.1 pound zucchini, 1 pound yellow squash, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Immediately whisk the olive oil, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, and black pepper together in a large bowl. Set aside to infuse while the squash rests for 30 minutes.3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Pat the squash slices completely dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove the wire racks, wipe any collected water from the pans, and line each with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Add the dried squash and halved tomatoes to the bowl of infused oil and toss to coat evenly.1 pint cherry tomatoes
- Spread the vegetables in a single layer across the two prepared pans. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan evenly over the top.2 ounces Parmesan cheese
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once partway through, until the vegetables are tender and the cheese is golden brown.
Equipment
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees for five minutes to bring back the texture. The microwave works but leaves the vegetables softer.
- Grate the Parmesan from a block on the large holes of a box grater. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that stop it from melting properly.
- Use dried herbs, not fresh. Fresh herbs won’t infuse into the oil, and they burn at this temperature.
- See the article for more tips and tricks.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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