Roasted Zucchini

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Of all the (many, many) ways I love to eat this veggie, roasted zucchini is my oldest of all, from long before I had a food blog. And even though I try to see how many new zucchini recipes I can squeeze in every summer, this healthy side dish still shows up at my table each year. It may be simple, but I love sharing how to make all kinds of roasted vegetables, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t show you my oven roasted zucchini recipe, too. Make it with me this zucchini season… or anytime you’ve got squash lying around!

Why You Need My Roasted Zucchini Recipe

• Perfect tender texture – My easy method gives you perfectly tender squash with lightly caramelized edges. Texture is everything!
• Easy way to prepare zucchini – While I love sneaking zucchini into unexpected comfort foods like zucchini pizza, zucchini chips, and even zucchini lasagna, sometimes you just need a simple side. And that’s what you get with my roasted zucchini recipe. You need just 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and less than 30 minutes.
• Versatile, healthy side dish – Oven roasted zucchini pairs well with almost any main course (I’ve got lots of ideas for you below), and it’s naturally low carb and gluten-free. You need this one in your rotation!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my roasted zucchini recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Zucchini – You’ll need 2 pounds. You can also make the same dish using yellow squash or patty pan squash, or even a combination of these different types of summer squash.
• Oil – It helps the seasonings stick and promotes browning. I like the flavor of olive oil for roasting zucchini, but avocado oil works, too.
• Italian Seasoning – I make my own Italian seasoning mix, but store bought works, too. You could also chop up some fresh herbs instead — use 1/2 to 1 tablespoon.
• Garlic Powder – I recommend garlic powder over fresh garlic, which would burn in the high heat of the oven and doesn’t stick to the spears very well.
• Salt & Pepper – I use sea salt for all my healthy recipes, but kosher salt is fine, too.

VARIATION: Add parmesan cheese or lemon juice!

• Lemon juice – Just add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice along with the olive oil.
• Parmesan – Toss the zucchini with 1/4 to 1/3 cup grated parmesan before roasting, or sprinkle it on top afterward. If you’re into a thicker parmesan crust, make my parmesan zucchini fries or air fryer zucchini instead.

How To Roast Zucchini

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Cut the zucchini into spears. Cut off the ends of the zucchini, then cut each in half to make two shorter pieces. Slice each piece in half, then cut those lengthwise into 8 sticks (like thin wedges). See my picture below for a visual, or my tips below if you prefer zucchini slices instead.
2. Toss with seasoning. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini sticks with the olive oil and season with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

3. Roast zucchini in the oven. Arrange the pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet (this one is my fave), with spaces between them. (See my tips below if you want to line the pan.) Bake until tender, flipping halfway through. I like to serve roasted zucchini with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

My Recipe Tips

• You’ll get more browning with a bare pan or foil than parchment paper. Any of these options work, but make sure to spray with cooking spray if you use aluminum foil or a bare pan. Parchment paper doesn’t stick as easily, but the roasted zucchini browns less.
• Why such thin spears? I make them skinny so that they roast faster and caramelize more. You can cut yours larger, but they’ll take a bit longer and have less surface area for browning.
• You can roast zucchini rounds, too! In fact, this is what I do for my zucchini and squash recipe. Cut them about 1/2 inch thick and they’ll roast faster than zucchini spears, only 10-12 minutes.
• Adjust the roasting time for your ideal texture. You might need to add or subtract a few minutes depending on if you prefer your zucchini crisp-tender or more soft. The thickness of the spears also affects the baking time, so just keep an eye on them after flipping.
• Broil at the end for extra browning. This is optional, but I like to broil the roasted zucchini squash for a couple of minutes at the end to darken.

Storage & Meal Prep

• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They do get more mushy, but I love them anyway. If you made zucchini slices instead of spears, you can also top them to make zucchini pizza bites.
• Meal prep: I recommend baking it fresh, but you can cut the squash ahead of time if you want to meal prep.
• Reheat: I usually pop the roasted zucchini in the oven again, this time at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. You can microwave it, but it turns out more mushy.
• Freeze: Freeze the pieces in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet pan, then once solid, transfer to a zip lock bag. If you have extra squash that’s raw, I’ve got a few methods to freeze zucchini to use in other recipes, too!

Serving Ideas

One of the reasons I roast zucchini so often is that it goes with everything! Here are some of my favorite easy, flavorful proteins to serve with it:

• Chicken – I love pairing this side with air fryer chicken thighs or pan seared chicken breast because I can make them at the same time. If you want everything done in the oven, make my baked chicken leg quarters. Or check out my dozens of other chicken recipes here.
• Fish – My pan seared salmon or pan fried tilapia go great with roasted zucchini. And for a special occasion, you can’t beat my sea bass recipe!
• Beef – Make my tender sirloin steak recipe, or keep it simple with some juicy hamburgers.
• Pork – My favorites are stuffed pork chops or a pork tenderloin, but air fryer pork chops are much quicker.

More Easy Zucchini Recipes

Too hot to turn on your oven? Try one of my other simple zucchini recipes that don’t need it:

Sauteed Zucchini

Zucchini Noodles

Grilled Zucchini

Zucchini Salad

Recipe Card

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Roasted Zucchini (Easy Recipe)

My oven roasted zucchini recipe makes a quick, easy, and healthy side dish! You need just 4 simple ingredients for perfectly tender squash.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 6 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 2 lb Zucchini ▢
• 3 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning ▢
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder ▢
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, if desired.

2. Cut off the ends of the zucchini and then cut each one across in half, making 2 shorter cylinder-shaped pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise 4 times, making 8 spears out of each larger piece.

3. Toss zucchini sticks with olive oil. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper, and toss again to coat.

4. Arrange zucchini sticks in a single layer on the baking sheet without touching. Roast in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. Flip the pieces over and continue roasting for about 8-13 more minutes, until tender and golden brown.

5. Optional step: Place roasted zucchini under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown more, if desired.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/6 entire recipe (about 8 pieces)

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 89

Fat 7.5g

Protein 1.9g

Total Carbs 5g

Net Carbs 3.4g

Fiber 1.6g

Sugar 3.8g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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Try More Of My Recipes

• 
  Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• 
  Oven Roasted Garlic
• 
  Roasted Eggplant
• 
  Roasted Zucchini And Squash

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Gratitude Moment

My youngest daughter (pictured here with me on one of our hikes this month) just recently decided that she loves zucchini, and I’m over the moon. Cue all the roasted zucchini recipes!

Sometimes kids don’t always like foods right away, and I never force it. But my motto is we keep trying a bite, and after that it’s up to them to decide if they want to continue. This method has even worked for me personally as an adult — I’m coming around to enjoying olives, lol.

Do you or your kids have foods you used to not like, but now you do after trying them multiple times? Let me know in the comments!