This Baked Zucchini Pizza recipe is loved by everyone in the family! I love making it, because it's more nutritious than normal pizza, and super quick and easy to make. It's a great summertime meal to make with fresh zucchini from our garden.
Zucchini Pizza is delicious anytime of year, but is popular in the summer and early fall when zucchini is in season. Here are some fresh harvest garden tips! For more Zucchini recipes check out our Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Roasted Zucchini, Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters.
For a fun summer drink to go along with it try our strawberry brazilian limeade.
Try another summer meal with our cheesy cauliflower soup.
What I Love About This Recipe
It is so easy to make. Much faster than normal pizza. You don't have to make the dough, or stretch or roll out the dough, it's just already there ready to go. It's good for you and a great way to get more vitamins and nutrients into kids (and adults!) The flavor is amazing and robust and I actually prefer it to regular pizza.
Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for best results.
- zucchini - Ripe zucchini of pretty much any variety. We often use summer squash as well.
- marinara sauce - your favorite. We love Rao's homemade, we love making our own, it doesn't matter what kind, just use your favorite for the best flavor.
- salt, garlic powder, parsley and basil - we tested this recipe with a variety of spices and found this combo to be the best. You can also use a little garlic powder and Italian seasoning, if desired.
- mozzarella cheese - to be a classic, you need a classic and that's what mozzarella cheese is on pizza.
How to Make Zucchini Pizza
Use these process shots to help get the results you are wanting. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for best results.
1. Preheat oven to 375* F. Then wash the zucchini. Next, slice zucchini lengthwise. This can vary depending on size, but aim for about ⅜", maybe ¼". I find this to be a good balance between enough zucchini and not too much. Then season! I like to use plenty of seasonings for more flavor.
2. Top with your favorite marinara or pizza sauce! Make sure it's well coated.
3. Top with cheese. Use as much as you want, we like a lot on ours! Add your desired toppings. We like mini pepperonis, ham, and tomatoes best.
4. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Insert a fork to test for doneness. It should feel a little soft, yet still a little firm. Cook longer for softer zucchini and shorter for more firm. Turn the oven to broil and broil on high for 1-3 minutes until cheese reaches preferred doneness.
Variations and Substitutions
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- I love using fresh basil. If you don't have fresh, I highly recommend Freeze Dried Basil. You just can't beat that fresh basil taste and it makes a huge difference in flavor.
- If you like your zucchini to have a little bit of crunch to it, you can cook it as little as 7 minutes. We really like that al dente texture, which is in the 15-18 minute range. If you cut your zucchini thinner or thicker, adjust the cooking time accordingly for the desired texture. Longer for thicker, shorter for thinner.
- For an even broader flavor range, instead of using mozzarella cheese, use a thinner layer of parmesan or asiago cheese.
- Make Zucchini Pizza Casserole by making the pizzas and layering on top of each other, going horizontally, then vertically, then horizontally for 3 layers. Bake 20-25 minutes until it's starting to soften yet still a bit firm. Then broil for 1-3 minutes.
How to Serve Zucchini Pizza
Serve it up with your other favorite garden vegetables. We also love to serve it with some grilled chicken or kebabs. Sometimes I'll season some shredded chicken and put it on the zucchini as a pizza topping.
Top Tips
Season the zucchini before adding the sauce!! This truly is what makes this dish so flavorful and delicious. All of our taste testers agreed it made the biggest difference in flavor.
Don't over cook the zucchini or it will be mushy. You want to remove it from the oven when it's nice and al dente.
We love to broil ours at the end. We love the slightly crispy bubbly cheese on top.
Storage
Another miracle of this delicious dish is that it stores great and leftovers are delicious! Store up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven until cheese is melted.
Recipe
Zucchini Pizza
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized zucchini cut into ¼" - ⅜" strips, lengthwise
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon parsley or garlic spread seasoning instead of garlic powder and parsley
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried or freeze dried
- 12 ounce marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
- Any desired pizza toppings pepperoni, peppers, ham, mushroom, etc
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375* F
- Slice zucchini lengthwise into ¼"- ⅜" strips. Combine salt, basil, garlic and parsley together in a bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture on top of the zucchini. Top with sauce, cheese and desired toppings.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 15-18 minutes. Insert a fork into the zucchini to test for doneness. No mushy zucchini here! You should be able to insert a fork pretty easily, but it should still feel slightly firm.
- Turn the oven to broil, and broil on high for 1-3 minutes until cheese reaches preferred doneness.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
- Store up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven until cheese is melted. Or reheat in the air fryer at 400* for 2-3 minutes.
- Do not over cook your zucchini or it will be mushy. Remove from the oven as soon as it's al dente.
- Use garlic spread seasoning, Italian seasoning, or whatever you want. Just make sure to season the zucchini before adding the marinara. It makes a huge difference in flavor.
- For crispy, bubbly cheese, broil at the end for 1-3 minutes. We love it this way!
- We love to serve this with grilled chicken and other garden vegetables.
Jennifer Stafford says
Definitely saving this recipe.! Love all things zucchini and this zucchini pizza was really really good. Can't wait to have it again! Great recipe.
JCaryl says
this baked zucchini pizza recipe is super easy and a great way to use up zucchini from the garden. We all love it, kids especially! Great recipe.
L says
Love this! Zucchini Pizza is one of my favorite ways to soothe my pizza cravings, without the carbs! Delicious!
Tayler Ross says
My garden is bursting with zucchini, and this was the perfect way to use some of it. I'm excited to try the zucchini pizza casserole next time. yum!