Kurut with dried dill, served with fresh parsley Rehydrated Kurut Dip with Dill & Olive Oil Saucy Galbi served with sesame seeds and cilantro Braised Short Ribs (Galbi-jjim Style) Freshly baked pumpkin seed biscuits Roasted Pumpkin Seed Biscuits Spiced Honey Cake served Spiced Honey Cake Chocolate lava cake with gooey center Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes Roasted sausage served with mustard Oven-Roasted Sausages with Mustard Fideuà with cuttlefish served, garnished with fresh parsley Seafood Pasta with Cuttlefish (Fideuà) Haleem with vegetables served, rich, thick and spicy dish Vegetable Haleem Stew Blue cheese croissants served Blue Cheese Croissants Chocolate cream cake with chocolate glaze Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake Tinda dahi with yogurt and cilantro, garnished with fresh lime leaf Creamy Yogurt Curried Squash (Tinda Masala) Spicy Biltong with lime slices and cilantro Spicy Biltong Salad with Lime Martabak Manis with condensed milk, chocolate, and banana Indonesian Sweet Pancake (Martabak Manis) Spicy Shakshuka with eggs and vegetables. Spicy Turkish Vegetable Shakshuka (Şakşuka) Frikadeller served with brown gravy and fresh parsley Danish Pork Meatballs (Frikadeller) with Gravy Creamy cauliflower and swiss chard soup served in a bowl Creamy Cauliflower & Swiss Chard Soup Strawberry cheesecake crepes plated Strawberry Cheesecake Crepes Oopsie bread low carb cloud bread fresh from the oven Oopsie Bread - Low Carb Cloud Bread Beef and yuba stir-fry with soy sauce and vegetables Beef & Yuba Stir-Fry Zeppole filled with sour cherry jam and dusted with sugar Sour Cherry Filled Italian Donuts Kurut with dried dill, served with fresh parsley Rehydrated Kurut Dip with Dill & Olive Oil Saucy Galbi served with sesame seeds and cilantro Braised Short Ribs (Galbi-jjim Style) Freshly baked pumpkin seed biscuits Roasted Pumpkin Seed Biscuits Spiced Honey Cake served Spiced Honey Cake Chocolate lava cake with gooey center Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes Roasted sausage served with mustard Oven-Roasted Sausages with Mustard Fideuà with cuttlefish served, garnished with fresh parsley Seafood Pasta with Cuttlefish (Fideuà) Haleem with vegetables served, rich, thick and spicy dish Vegetable Haleem Stew Blue cheese croissants served Blue Cheese Croissants Chocolate cream cake with chocolate glaze Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake Tinda dahi with yogurt and cilantro, garnished with fresh lime leaf Creamy Yogurt Curried Squash (Tinda Masala) Spicy Biltong with lime slices and cilantro Spicy Biltong Salad with Lime Martabak Manis with condensed milk, chocolate, and banana Indonesian Sweet Pancake (Martabak Manis) Spicy Shakshuka with eggs and vegetables. Spicy Turkish Vegetable Shakshuka (Şakşuka) Frikadeller served with brown gravy and fresh parsley Danish Pork Meatballs (Frikadeller) with Gravy Creamy cauliflower and swiss chard soup served in a bowl Creamy Cauliflower & Swiss Chard Soup Strawberry cheesecake crepes plated Strawberry Cheesecake Crepes Oopsie bread low carb cloud bread fresh from the oven Oopsie Bread - Low Carb Cloud Bread Beef and yuba stir-fry with soy sauce and vegetables Beef & Yuba Stir-Fry Zeppole filled with sour cherry jam and dusted with sugar Sour Cherry Filled Italian Donuts
Vegan Zucchini Casserole with tomato sauce
Nutritious and tasty zucchini casserole with vegan cheese sauce

Zucchini & Tomato Casserole

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes Main Courses
Zucchini is 95% water. The biggest enemy of casseroles is moisture seeping from vegetables, soaking the dish and making it 'soupy' instead of 'baked'. The technical key to this recipe is using salting (osmosis) to remove water before baking, resulting in a flavor-concentrated, rich dish.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 380 kcal
🌍 Cuisine International, Vegan

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Baking dish
  • Lots of paper towels
  • Skillet for ragout

Allergen Information

⚠️ Soy (depending on meat/sauce)

Instructions

1 ✓

Slice zucchini lengthwise or into rounds, salt thoroughly. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.

Tip: Salt draws water from cells. You'll see beads on surface.
2 ✓

Meanwhile make ragout: sauté onion, crushed garlic, and vegan 'meat' in oil.

Tip: Vegan proteins also benefit from browning (Maillard reaction) for flavor depth.
3 ✓

Pour in tomato sauce, season with oregano, and cook until thick (approx. 10 mins).

Tip: Important that ragout is thick, not runny, or it soaks the dish.
4 ✓

Return to zucchini: wipe off moisture with paper towels as much as possible.

Tip: The drier, the better the texture.
5 ✓

Layer: zucchini, ragout, cheese sauce. Repeat until finished.

Tip: Zucchini should be bottom layer.
6 ✓

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30 minutes until top browns and edges bubble.

Tip: Let cool slightly before serving to make slicing easier.

Recipe FAQ

Why is my zucchini casserole watery?
If you don't salt and blot it beforehand, heat damages cell walls and zucchini releases water in oven, soaking everything.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs Zucchini
  • 1 1/2 cups Tomato Purée (Passata)
  • 1 whole Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 10 oz Vegan Ground Meat (or Lentils)
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/4 cups Vegan Cheese Sauce