This is hands-down my favorite way to prepare this vegetable. If you like the flavor and texture of roasted vegetables, read on to learn how to roast zucchini.
When I was a kid, my mom steamed and boiled pretty much all of our vegetables. We ate a lot of mushy zucchini. I only discovered the joy of roasted zucchini as an adult.
Roasted Zucchini
Roasting brings out so much extra flavor. There’s nothing else that comes close, except for doing it on the grill. Here are the things to remember when making roasted zucchini:
First, high-quality produce is always going to taste better. Select zucchinis that are firm and are covered in tiny bristles of hair. These are the freshest.
Second, toss the zucchini pieces gently with oil. Spread them out so there’s plenty of airflow.
Third, the best-tasting zucchinis are roasted until tender, but still a little crisp.
Personally, I’m not a fan of soft zucchini, however, if you are, cook the zucchini to your desired doneness.
Slightly crisp, tender roasted zucchini is so delicious, you’ll be eating these right off the pan. Al dente works for your vegetables as well as your spaghetti! Save some extra roasted zucchini and make vegetable spaghetti.
How To Roast Zucchini
Follow these directions on how to roast zucchini.
Prep the oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Prep the zucchini: Clean the zucchinis, then trim off the ends. Chop them into spears or slices. Oil and season them, then place the pieces on the sheet pan.
Note: If you are concerned about sliced rounds of zucchini turning into soggy zucchini, you can place the zucchini atop a baking rack in the sheet pan. This elevation increases the air flow around it, and helps to remove excess moisture.
How Long To Roast Zucchini
Roasting zucchini: Place the pan in the hot oven, and set a timer for 8 minutes. Depending on the size of the pieces, and the desired tenderness, it may take longer to finish.
But, you should be able to see a very light browning when the timer goes off. Test them for tenderness and flavor. It is unlikely that they will be finished at this point.
A fish spatula is my favorite tool for turning vegetables. It is thin and flexible for sauteing, frying, turning, and lifting anything from fish to cookies to vegetables.
It usually takes anywhere from 8 to 15 minutes to roast zucchini. When finished, the flesh should still be mostly white.
You can serve zucchini with nothing more than butter, salt, and pepper. But, I love it many ways. Look in the spice rack for inspiration. When you know how to roast zucchini you find versatile vegetable can handle almost anything.
There are so many great ways to cook zucchini! Once you’ve mastered roasting, you may want to try grilling, steaming, or even sauteeing it.
How to Roast Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 zucchini, medium sliced into spears
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the zucchini spears on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Roast the zucchini for 8 to 15 minutes and check for doneness. Depending on the size of the pieces continue roasting until the pieces are fork-tender and still a bit crisp when done.
Nutrition
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