Learn how to make easy roasted zucchini! It's beautifully caramelized, golden brown, and seasoned to perfection with lemon, herbs, and cheese.
I’m finally coming around to roasted zucchini. You’d think, given how much I love pretty much all zucchini recipes, that I would have been a fan of it forever. But no. Roasted zucchini and I got off to a rocky start.
See, I have a strong aversion to anything mushy. Before I worked out this game-changing recipe, that’s how my roasted zucchini always ended up. It was too soft and too watery, basically mush.
But this summer, I decided to give roasted zucchini another chance. Instead of slicing the squash into thin rounds like I had in the past, I went for chunkier half-moons. I baked them at a high heat for just 15-ish minutes. They came out caramelized and golden brown, and they kept a nice bite. I liked them so much that I had eaten half the batch off the baking sheet before it occurred to me that I should save some for Jack.
I hope you try this recipe – I think you’ll love it too!
Roasted Zucchini Recipe Ingredients
Oh, and another great thing about this oven roasted zucchini recipe? The seasoning! I punch up the squash with
- garlic powder,
- Italian seasoning,
- sea salt,
- black pepper,
- olive oil,
- and fresh lemon juice.
It’s savory, fruity, aromatic, and bright. Seriously, SO delicious!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Cut the squash into thick, 1-inch half-moons. Place it in a large bowl and toss it with the olive oil and seasonings. When it’s well coated, transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and spread it in a single layer.
Roast it at 425°F until it’s golden brown around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze it with lemon juice, and enjoy!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Roasted Zucchini Recipe Tips
- Cut the zucchini into evenly sized pieces. That way, they’ll cook at an even rate in the oven. If the pieces vary widely in size, smaller ones will burn (or worse – turn to mush!) before larger ones are tender.
- Don’t crowd the baking sheet. The hallmark of perfect roasted zucchini is beautifully golden brown, caramelized edges. In order to achieve this browning, the zucchini needs space on the baking sheet. If the pieces are too close together, they’ll steam instead of getting brown and roast-y.
- Season it before and after baking. Tossing the zucchini with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper before baking gives it an amazing foundation of flavor. But adding a few extra seasonings after it roasts really takes it over the top. At a minimum, toss it with a squeeze of lemon juice for bright, fresh flavor. I also like to add a sprinkle of cheese or vegan Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs like basil or parsley.
Roasted Zucchini Serving Suggestions
This roasted zucchini is a great quick and easy side dish recipe. Pair it with your favorite protein, a veggie burger, or any pasta. Lately, we’ve especially enjoyed it with this pesto pasta, spaghetti aglio e olio, and stuffed shells.
You can also use roasted zucchini as a starting point for a larger dish. Here are a few of my favorite ways to do this:
- Add it to a vegetable frittata.
- Toss it with noodles, lemon butter sauce, and pine nuts for a speedy weeknight pasta.
- Stuff it into veggie tacos. Sub cumin and chili powder for the Italian seasoning!
- Serve it over polenta with a spoonful of homemade marinara.
- Add it to a grain bowl. I especially like it with farro, roasted chickpeas, and romesco sauce.
How do you like to serve roasted zucchini? Let me know in the comments!
More Favorite Zucchini Recipes
If you love this oven roasted zucchini, try one of these easy zucchini recipes next:
- Zucchini Fritters
- How to Make Zucchini Noodles
- Pasta Primavera
- Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Zucchini Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Or any of these 35 Best Zucchini Recipes!
Roasted Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini, about 3 medium, cut into 1-inch half-moons
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Lemon wedges, for squeezing
- Crumbled feta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, or pecorino cheese, or Vegan Parmesan, optional, for serving
- Fresh herbs, optional, for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss the zucchini with the olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and several grinds of pepper. Spread it evenly on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, and squeeze with lemon. Sprinkle with cheese and herbs, if desired.
Delicious! I will be making a lot more zucchini in the future. Would really appreciate it if you would include nutrition information!
Made it tonight. Veggies were not “crispy” but soft yet delicious! Wish recipes would include nutrition values.
Deelish!!! I added mushrooms and some garlic cloves. But it’s excellent!
Hi, I’m so glad you enjoyed the zucchini!
This is awesome. The basil and lemon are amazing here.
Hi Dan, so glad you loved the recipe!
Not sure what I did wrong, but I found these mushy. They were tasty though.
Loved it! The second time I tried aged balsamic vinegar in place of the lemon. Equally as good!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I’ve been trying to try different veggies because I’m tired of eating the same ones. So I grabbed some zucchini from the grocery store and went to Google for a recipe. I found this one and I’m hooked. It’s so good. I don’t use cheese because I’m lactose intolerant but it doesn’t need it. The lemons just makes it pop. This recipe is saved on my phone and I’ll be eating zucchini more often. I’ve shared it with four friends already. I hope they will try it too. Thanks!
I’m so glad you’ve loved it!
We made this tonight with farm-picked summer squash of the bright yellow/orange zucchini variety.
I used fresh thyme to replace the Italian seasoning but did everything else the same. When it was done, I sprinkled Parmesan cheese over all and popped back in for a few minutes. It was divine! My mom said it was her favorite part of the meal. Thank you so much for posting such a delicious way to prepare this otherwise not so exciting vegetable.
Sounds delicious – I’m so glad you loved the zucchini!