Zucchini Casserole

Zucchini Casserole

• 6 small to medium zucchini — about 2 pounds, cut into ½-inch half-moons or bite-size pieces
• 1 large can San Marzano tomatoes — 28 ounces, roughly chopped, with juices
• ½ can tomato paste — from a 6-ounce can
• 1 large egg — lightly beaten
• ½ cup dry breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup yellow onion — medium dice
• ⅓ cup green bell pepper — medium dice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ pound ground beef
• 1 clove garlic clove — smashed & minced
• as needed nonstick cooking spray — as needed

Seasonings

• ¾ teaspoon salt (optional) — plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon oregano — dried
• ½ teaspoon basil — dried
• to taste black pepper (optional) — to taste

Topping

• ½ cup green olives — sliced
• ½ cup yellow onion — thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese — finely grated

Optional Additions

• as desired fresh mozzarella cheese (optional) — well drained, thinly sliced, as desired
• to taste red pepper flakes (optional) — to taste
• Italian sausage (optional) — browned and crumbled; use in place of some or all of the ground beef

1. Prepare the Zucchini: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the zucchini in a steamer basket over simmering water, cover, and steam 3–4 minutes until bright green and just crisp-tender. Transfer to a colander and drain 10 minutes, then blot away visible surface moisture with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.6 zucchini, nonstick cooking spray
2. Cook the Meat Mixture: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, green pepper, garlic, ground beef, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Cook 7–9 minutes, breaking the beef into small crumbles, until the vegetables soften, no pink remains, and the largest beef crumbles reach 160°F. Drain excess grease if needed.1 tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup yellow onion, ⅓ cup green bell pepper, 1 garlic clove, ¾ lb ground beef, ¾ tsp salt
3. Build the Sauce and Binder: Stir the tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, oregano, basil, and black pepper into the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and a spoon dragged across the skillet leaves a brief trail without watery liquid immediately filling it. Taste and add more salt if needed. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Whisk about ½ cup of the warm meat mixture into the beaten egg, then stir the egg mixture back into the skillet with the breadcrumbs until evenly combined.28 oz San Marzano tomatoes, ½ of a 6-oz can tomato paste, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp basil, black pepper, 1 large egg, ½ cup breadcrumbs
4. Assemble the Casserole: Spread half of the drained zucchini evenly in the prepared casserole dish and cover with half of the meat mixture. Repeat with the remaining zucchini and meat mixture. Arrange the sliced olives and thin onion slices over the top, then sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.drained zucchini, meat mixture, ½ cup green olives, ½ cup yellow onion, ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
5. Bake: Bake uncovered on the center rack 30–35 minutes until the filling bubbles around the edges, the onion is tender, the Parmesan is lightly browned, and the center reaches 165°F.
6. Rest and Serve: Let the casserole rest 10 minutes until the bubbling subsides and the filling settles before serving warm.