“This zucchini casserole is amazing! Layers of zucchini, marinara sauce, and shredded mozzarella combine to give you a pizza-like experience without a doughy crust.”
So this recipe is in follow up to my NO-NOODLE ZUCCHINI LASAGNA, which was such a success. I had some grilled zucchini leftover from that dish, and I didn’t want it to go to waste, and I just so happened to find this recipe on the same blog. So I made this a couple of nights later in order to use up that leftover zucchini and my husband and I both gobbled it up…. another empty dish.
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
INGREDIENTS:
- Olive oil spray
- 6 medium zucchini (2 lb.)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella divided (6 oz)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
EXPERT TIP
This is an easy recipe, but one step that you should not skip is salting and draining the zucchini. This step is not hard to do. It just requires patience, and it’s important. It helps get rid of excess water and keeps the casserole from becoming soggy.
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a square 2-quart baking dish with olive oil spray.
- Slice the unpeeled zucchinis into ½-inch thick slices. Sprinkle them with salt. Place them in a colander and allow them to drain at room temperature for 30 minutes. This step helps prevent a watery casserole.
- Transfer the drained zucchini to a large bowl. Add the marinara sauce, black pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, and 1 cup mozzarella. Mix everything together.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle it with the remaining mozzarella and with the Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbly and browned, about 30 minutes.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving it. Like all casseroles, it tastes best when warm or at room temperature.
