Roasted zucchini is a delicacy. It's tender, browned, and flavorful. With a prep time of 20 minutes and a cook time of 20 more, this delicious side dish is relatively quick and can be paired with several main courses you can cook in the same oven.
This recipe is life-changing. Chef Tomas Keller's method of salting the zucchini, browning it in a pan, and roasting it in the oven is genius. It results in an incredible zucchini dish - no bitterness, no sogginess, just amazing flavor.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Zucchini: You will need three zucchinis. If you'd like to scale the recipe up, use more zucchinis and bake them in two pans.
- Kosher salt: Used to draw water from the zucchini before roasting it.
- Ghee: I love the nutty flavor it adds, and it's perfect for high-heat cooking since it has a high smoke point.
- To season: Black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Make shallow cuts in a crosshatch pattern on the flesh side. Sprinkle salt over the flesh and let it rest for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the zucchini will have visible water droplets on its surface. Pat it dry using paper towels.
Heat the ghee in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini in a single layer, flesh side down. Cook the zucchini for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is browned. Turn the heat off and flip the zucchini. Sprinkle it with spices.
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast the zucchini for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Serve immediately - look how gorgeous it is!
I encourage EVERYONE to give this a try. I first saw this style of roasting zucchini on Instagram (Thomas Keller is fabulous!). It is wonderful! Try topping it with fresh herbs and feta when serving. Or drizzle with vinaigrette. Just lovely. Thank you for reminding me to make some this week.
Kathryn
Read more comments
I encourage EVERYONE to give this a try. I first saw this style of roasting zucchini on Instagram (Thomas Keller is fabulous!). It is wonderful! Try topping it with fresh herbs and feta when serving. Or drizzle with vinaigrette. Just lovely. Thank you for reminding me to make some this week. Recipe Tip
As magnificent as this recipe is, sometimes I skip the scoring, salting, and sauteing. Instead, I simply slice the zucchini lengthwise, spray it with lots of olive oil, sprinkle it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme, and roast it.
The other day, I made a sheet pan of roasted vegetables. I roasted them all in a 425°F oven for about 40 minutes. I roasted a bell pepper, mushrooms, and red onions. I had two zucchinis, so I added them to the pan. The photo below shows the result.
As you can see, the zucchini looks very different when simply roasted without scoring, salting, and sautéing. It's not very browned and it's a bit soggy, but you know what? It's still delicious!
So keep in mind that this is an option, too, and I won't hold it against you if you make life easy. Just don't expect the fabulous results that come with extra effort.
Recipe FAQs
Salting the zucchini draws water out. Scoring its flesh helps the salt penetrate inside and draw more moisture out.
Look at the photo below - see the water droplets that the salt drew out? You want to eliminate this extra liquid to help the zucchini caramelize and prevent sogginess. The drier the zucchini is, the better its texture and the better it will caramelize.
No. You should leave the skin on. Zucchini skin is thin, soft (especially when cooked), and edible. There's no reason to peel it.
No. Even though we pat the zucchini dry after salting it, thanks to the scoring, enough salt gets inside that there's no need for additional salt.
Smaller zucchinis will need about 15 minutes in the oven, while larger ones will need about 20 minutes. Since zucchinis and ovens vary, you'll need to check and ensure that the zucchini is cooked through, tender, and browned.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. They are excellent when served cold, like antipasti. Alternatively, you can reheat them in the microwave at 50% power or in a 350°F oven. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
Since I roast the zucchini in a 450°F oven, I like to serve it with a main course I can bake in the same oven, such as any of the following:
Recipe Card
Roasted Zucchini
Video
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini - unpeeled, ends trimmed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Make shallow cuts in a crosshatch pattern on the flesh side. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over the flesh and let it rest for 15 minutes. The salt draws water out, and the crosshatch pattern helps the salt penetrate the zucchini.
- After 15 minutes, the zucchini will have visible water droplets on its surface. Pat it dry using paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Heat the ghee over medium-high heat in a large, 12-inch, oven-safe skillet. I use a cast-iron skillet. Place the zucchini in the skillet in a single layer, flesh side down.
- Cook the zucchini for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is browned. If the pan becomes too hot (as is sometimes the case with a cast-iron skillet or if you use an electric stove), reduce the heat to medium.
- Turn the heat off. Flip the zucchini and sprinkle it with black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast the zucchini for about 15-20 minutes, until tender.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Scoring the zucchini flesh and salting it is an important step. You want to eliminate extra liquid to help the zucchini caramelize and prevent sogginess.
- Even though we pat the zucchini dry after salting it, enough salt gets inside thanks to the scoring that there's no need for additional salt.
- Smaller zucchinis will need about 15 minutes in the oven. Larger ones will need about 20 minutes. Since zucchinis and ovens vary, you'll need to check and ensure that the zucchini is cooked through, tender, and browned.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. They are excellent when served cold, like antipasti. Alternatively, reheat them in the microwave at 50% power or in a 350°F oven. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
- The nutrition info is an estimate and assumes that about half the salt remains in the dish after blotting the zucchini dry.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Kathryn says
I encourage EVERYONE to give this a try. I first saw this style of roasting zucchini on Instagram (Thomas Keller is fabulous!). It is wonderful!
Try topping it with fresh herbs and feta when serving. Or drizzle with vinaigrette.
Just lovely. Thank you for reminding me to make some this week. =)
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Kathryn! I agree - everyone should try Chef Keller's method. It's incredible.