Parmesan Zucchini Recipe and the Pompeian Pledge

This is one of my favorite vegetable side dishes ever.  I remember my mom calling me a few years ago and telling me I had to make this Parmesan Zucchini recipe.  So I did and it has become a staple in our diet.  It is super easy and it is total comfort food and I think you need to have this in your recipe box too. This post is sponsored by Pompeian.  August is National Olive Oil month and Pompeian is encouraging you all to take the Pompeian Pledge, where you swap butter for olive oil in your everyday recipes.  At first I didn’t get it.  I couldn’t figure out why this would be a campaign.  But then I realized that I basically took that pledge 7 years ago.  When my oldest son was diagnosed with food allergies, I had to teach myself how to cook in an entirely new way.  Because of the milk protein allergy, butter was out.  So I only used olive oil in my cooking and other oils in my baking. Olive oil is the only thing I saute with and I even use it to finish a sauce with, in place of butter. I am glad to share a favorite recipe with you and have you maybe learn a different way to do things in the kitchen. 

This recipe uses only a few ingredients but they are flavorful. Zucchini and sweet onion, some garlic, and of course some (a lot) of parmesan cheese.  I was excited to try out this OlivExtra blend from Pompeian which is expeller pressed safflower Oil infused with extra virgin olive oil. This oil is really great for sauteing due to its high smoke point.  The expeller pressed method means that the oil is extracted without the use of chemicals (yeah!) and it is naturally gluten-free and non allergenic (yeah!).

I like to get all my ingredients ready before I start any cooking.  I’m not suggesting that you too may be easily distracted, but one too many times I have tried to start cooking the onions, only to find them burning while I am trying to slice my zucchinis.  Trust me, it’s better this way.

Even though I use olive oil instead of butter in all my cooking, I was excited to learn that there might be better oils for me to use based on what I am preparing.  I’ve never had safflower oil in my kitchen before and really liked it. It is high in Omega 9 monounsaturated fats (I’ll be honest, I don’t really know what that is but it sounds super important) and is a good source of Vitamin E.  Pompeian also sells a grapeseed oil which I totally have to get and try now too.

I make this parmesan zucchini recipe as a side dish on nights when I am making a pretty simple protein.  During the school year, I tend to bake a lot of chicken.  It can get boring so the side dishes really need to shine.  The whole family loves this one and I know your family will too.  Start by adding the safflower/olive oil blend to the pan.

Soften the onions, stirring often to prevent browning. When almost cooked through, add the minced garlic and give it a quick stir.

Add your sliced zucchini to the pan and give it all a stir so the zucchini can get coated in the oil.  Then try to spread the zucchini out in to a single layer as much as you can to try to ensure even cooking.  Just do your best here, some always cook way faster than the others. Total overachievers. 

When the zucchini is just about ready, top with large amounts of parmesan cheese. 

Toss a lid on your pan to help in the melting of said cheese.  And plate when melted through. 

So yum!  The garlic and onion add so much flavor to the otherwise pretty boring zucchini (Sorry zucchini.  No hard feelings right?) FYI, this is also really great reheated for lunch the next day.  Or breakfast.  

So go take the pledge! Visit the Pompeian Facebook page to pledge!  1,000 fans who sign up will be randomly selected to win free movie redemption codes or bottles of olive oil.  Plus every week, 5 other fans will win a Pompeian prize package.  Throughout the month of August, Pompeian is partnering with movie theaters across the country to swap the butter on the popcorn with olive oil! Not sure what the conversion between butter and olive oil is?  Check out this handy chart! 

I just know you are going to love this recipe.  The idea for this recipe is not one I came up with.  I did however come up with my own measurements as this recipe was told to me over the phone in a very vague way.  It is never my intention to not give credit where credit is due. If you know the creator of this recipe I will gladly add their info, so please pass it along to me!

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Yield: 4

Easy Parmesan Zucchini

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This yummy side dish is a favorite of our whole family! This cheesy zucchini is awesome! 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 TBSP plus 1 tsp, reserved Pompeian OlivExtra Safflower Oil infused with Olive Oil
• 1/2 sweet white onion, chopped
• 3 zucchini, sliced
• 1 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese, or more, or less - the choice is yours
• Maldon sea salt, to finsh

Instructions

1. Prepare your veggies first, chop your onion, slice your zucchini (trying to make the slices a similar size so they cook evenly) and crush your garlic.
2. In a large skillet, add 1 TBSP Safflower Oil infused with Olive Oil and heat.
3. Add onion and cook until softened.
4. Add crushed garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 30 seconds.
5. Add zucchini and stir to coat. If needed, add an additional 1 tsp of oil.
6. Spread zucchini out to as close to a single layer as you can.
7. Stir often to prevent the onions and garlic from burning and to rotate the zucchini.
8. When zucchini are cooked through but not soggy, add parmesan cheese.
9. Cover the pan with a lid to help the cheese to melt through.
10. Once cheese is melted, serve immediately.
11. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt to finish.
12. Serves about 4. (or 1 - don't judge me)

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

4 Servings
Amount Per Serving Calories 195Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 22mgSodium 660mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 13g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pompeian.

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