With onions and garlic, this easy Sauteed Zucchini with Parmesan side dish is cheesy and comforting.
Pair it with your family’s favorite chicken or pork recipe to create a delicious dinner everyone will love.
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Originally posted August 20, 2014. I updated this to include better photos and more detailed recipe information.
This is one of my most favorite side dish recipes. EVER.
It’s a vegetable. One that has been totally and completely smothered in cheese and flavor. A comfort food side dish. And one that my whole family really enjoys.
With just a few simple ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly and is super versatile.
Of course, it’s great as an accompaniment to chicken (because what isn’t, am I right?), but it also goes well with just about any other type of protein.
I mean, you could even throw this on top of a plate of spaghetti with red sauce and it would be amazing. You have to give this a try!
How to make Sauteed Parmesan Zucchini
Changing this recipe to suit your flavor preferences won’t hurt anything. Add more, take away – this recipe will be tasty no matter what.
Scroll down to the end of the post for a printable recipe card with full measurements and more detailed instructions.
Ingredients
Recently I found out that my kids LOVE zucchini. So you better believe I serve it at least once a week.
While I like it roasted or simply sauteed, this recipe blankets the zucchini in parmesan cheese. YUM.
With onions and garlic, the flavor is amped up and truly delish.
Using good olive oil also adds to the flavor. This one from Cut 1886 is so flavorful.
This is not sponsored – I just kind of have a thing for olive oil. I use a drizzle as a salad dressing with just salt so over the years I’ve tasted lots of flavor profiles and love how it can finish a dish.
This one has a little bit of a bite at the back of the throat and is a touch peppery.
Directions
Slice the zucchini and chop the onions and get the garlic ready.
There are a few steps to this recipe but I always like to get the prep work ahead of time to keep things organized.
Try to slice the zucchini in uniform slices so that they cook evenly and in about the same time. (A mandolin would do these for you).
One of the best things I’ve ever done (slight exaggeration but it does help me in the kitchen) is take a knife skills class.
I’m a home cook, I don’t have “techniques” but knowing how to cut an onion and use a knife more efficiently is really helpful.
Add olive oil to a sautee pan and soften the onions stirring often to prevent browning. When almost cooked through, add the minced garlic and give it a quick stir so it doesn’t burn and cook until fragrant for about 30 seconds.
Add the zucchini to the pan and stir to coat with olive oil.
Spread the zucchini so that it’s as close to a single layer as possible. This helps it to cook evenly.
Also, crowding a pan also adds more moisture to the pan and you won’t get a nice browning of the slices.
But here’s the thing. I’m lazy. I’ve got more important things to do than to cook zucchini in multiple batches. So I’m willing to crowd the pan to get dinner on the table faster.
I make sure to stir so that the zucchini that is on the bottom gets moved to the top, vice versa.
Also, to speed up the cooking, I sometimes add a lid to trap the heat and steam it. It really just depends on how much time I have to get dinner on the table.
When the zucchini is just about ready, top with a large amount of parmesan cheese.
Toss a lid on the pan to help the cheese melt. You know parmesan is a really hard cheese and doesn’t melt as quickly as other types.
Just look at tall that cheesy goodness. The garlic and onion add so much flavor to boring old zucchini.
I mean, let’s face it, zucchini doesn’t have a super strong flavor and really comes alive with what it’s cooked with.
Serve this sautted zucchini as a dinner side dish. And eat your heart out.
It also reheats well for lunch the next day. I topped mine with a little bit of red pepper flakes because it adds a nice little heat without changing the flavor.
I just know you are going to love this recipe.
More easy side dish recipes
- This easy Microwave Apple Sauce is one of my favorite things to serve with ham. It’s quick to make and has a yummy flavor that my kids love.
- Black Bean Salad works as a side dish or a main course! It’s a recipe my teen asks for and has lots of protein.
- A Sweet Potato Dump Cake works as a side for a holiday meal or a dessert. That’s my kind of recipe.
Sauteed Zucchini with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ sweet white onion chopped
- 3 zucchini sliced (into coins with an even thickness)
- 1 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 ½ cups shredded parmesan cheese or more, or less – the choice is yours
- Maldon sea salt to finsh
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil to a sautee pan.
- Add chopped onion and cook until softened about 7-10 minutes.
- Add crushed garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add zucchini, stir to coat then spread zucchini out in a single layer or as close as you can get to one.
- Stir often to prevent the onions and garlic from burning and to rotate the zucchini.
- When zucchini is cooked through but not soggy (approximately 10-15 minutes) add the parmesan cheese.
- Cover the pan with a lid to help the cheese to melt through. 5-6 minutes).
- Serve immediately.
- Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt to finish.
Notes
Nutrition
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Lindsay says
This is a great way to make zucchini! I think if I prepare it this way, my daughter will actually eat it!
Sharon Garofalow says
YES! My kids LOVE this recipe!
jackiefo says
Dude. Zucchini + Cheese = Legit. Looks amazeballs.
Sharon Garofalow says
Dude. It tastes amazeballs! :)