Baked Zucchini Tian Recipe
Baked Zucchini Tian with Middle Eastern Spices served over rice for a simple vegetarian meal, or as a delicious side dish. Meltingly tender, flavorful, healthy and vegan!
How to Make the Best Baked Zucchini Tian
This Baked Zucchini Tian is a beautiful Middle Eastern-inspired dish that transforms simple summer vegetables into something truly special. The layers of tender zucchini nestled in a fragrant tomato sauce infused with cumin and coriander create a dish that’s as stunning to look at as it is delicious to eat.
What makes this tian so wonderful is how the zucchini becomes meltingly tender during the long, slow bake, absorbing all those aromatic spices while releasing their own natural sweetness. The caramelized onions and garlic in the tomato base provide a rich foundation of flavor, while the bright notes of lemon zest and fresh parsley add the perfect finishing touch.
Whether you serve this as a light vegetarian main course over fluffy rice or as an impressive side dish at your next dinner party, this zucchini tian is sure to become a favorite. It’s healthy, vegan, and absolutely packed with flavor—proof that simple ingredients treated with care can create something extraordinary.
Baked Zucchini Tian
Baked Zucchini Tian with Middle Eastern Spices served over rice for a simple vegetarian meal, or as a delicious side dish. Meltingly tender, flavorful, healthy and vegan!
Ingredients
Tomato Base
Zucchini Layers
Instructions
Prepare the Tomato Base
- In a 10 inch, heavy-bottomed, ovenproof skillet (cast iron works great), heat olive oil until hot on medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown and fragrant. Add garlic, stirring more frequently, until garlic is golden.
- Turn heat to medium-low and add diced tomatoes, lemon zest and lemon juice, salt, pepper and spices. Simmer on low until tomatoes cook down a little, about 5 minutes. This will seem like a fairly dry tomato sauce, but remember, zucchini will release their liquids while baking.
- Remove all but 1/3 of the rustic tomato sauce, placing 2/3 in a separate bowl.
Assemble and Bake
- Spread the remaining tomato sauce (about 1/2 cup) evenly on the bottom of the pan. Place one single layer of zucchini in slightly overlapping concentric circles.
- Sprinkle with a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper.
- Spread another third of the rustic tomato sauce over the zucchini, as evenly as possible. It won't seem like a lot, but don't worry.
- Add the second and final layer of slightly overlapping zucchini. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the rest of the tomato sauce.
- Cover with foil. Place in 350°F oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and give a good shake, and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and give a good drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
- Cast iron works great for this recipe as it goes from stovetop to oven seamlessly.
- The zucchini will release liquid while baking, so the tomato sauce doesn't need to be too wet.
- Serve over rice for a complete vegetarian meal, or enjoy as a flavorful side dish.
