Savory Italian Zucchini Pie: Easy Summer Recipe

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Stop putting your extra zucchini in unsuspecting neighbors’ unlocked cars and give this fresh and savory Italian Zucchini Pie recipe a try instead. It takes the two things I love the most – zucchini and pie – and combines them into one garden-fresh dish. If you have a real bumper crop of zucchini and summer squash, make extra pies and freeze them for garden-fresh flavors all winter long.

A good friend gave me this summer zucchini recipe. She has enormous organic garden and orchard in Southwestern Missouri.

italian zucchini pie

Why Zucchini is Underrated

Zucchini, with mild flavor and tender texture, is a versatile vegetable that completes a wide range of dishes. It blends seamlessly with other flavors, allowing onions, garlic, and other savory spices to shine through.

When cooked, zucchini releases moisture and enhances the flavors of other ingredients. The longer you cook it, the softer the texture.

Want to talk about your food budget? Zucchini is a budget booster as it adds fiber, vitamins, and other micronutrients to your diet and is also one of the cheapest vegetables you can buy. Of course if you have a garden, you will have a plethora of zucchini that can be used all year round.

Note: If you’re a new gardener, here are my best tips for growing your own zucchini in a small space.

zucchini plant with blossoms and small fruit

How to Make an Easy Zucchini Pie

Zucchini pie is super easy to make using just a few ingredients and tools. It’s summer fresh and a budget-friendly side dish for a family get together.

Ingredients for Zucchini Pie:

  • Zucchini
  • Onion
  • Butter (or olive oil)
  • Parsley (dried or fresh
  • Salt and pepper
  • Garlic (fresh or powdered)
  • Fresh Basil
  • Oregano
  • Mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan cheese (optional but yummy)
  • Mustard
  • Pie shell (or you can make pie crust from scratch or with a baking mix)
  • Fresh herbs (optional)

Tools:

Truly all you need for this easy vegetable pie is a knife, cutting board, skillet and pie plate or baking dish. However, a food processor will make the prep go even faster.

Tips for the Perfect Zucchini Pie

When you read zucchini pie, did your mind automatically think mushy and watery? If so, here are a few tips to make sure your zucchini maintains a crisper texture and gives you a thicker pie filling with a crisp crust intact.

Zucchini contains a lot of moisture that it releases when cooked. The first step of this recipe is to sauté the zucchini with the onions, garlic, and spices. Don’t skip this step. It’s important to remove the excess moisture from the zucchini mixture.

Next, make sure to whisk your eggs thoroughly. They should be completely yellow, with no chunks of egg white remaining. This helps the zucchini dish bake evenly.

To avoid an uneven or incomplete bake, preheat your oven before putting in your zucchini pie and bake until it is a golden brown.

Freeze Zucchini Pie for Make Ahead Meals

I have frozen these in years with bumper zucchini crops and intend to freeze a couple this week. To freeze a zucchini pie, complete all the steps in the recipe except the final bake. Assemble the filling and pie crust, cover tightly or put in a freezer-safe dish, and then freeze them. When you need a quick meal, just pop your frozen zucchini pie in the oven and bake for 34-40 minutes at 375 degrees.

What to Serve with Savory Zucchini Dishes

I’m not sure you can ever have enough vegetables – especially if they are easy to grow vegetables coming straight from your garden. A fresh green salad complements the warm comfort food vibes of a tasty zucchini pie. Add in a crusty piece of garlic bread and a fresh fruit salad for a complete meal that is delicious, easy on your wallet, and healthy.

If you want to add more protein to your meal, grill some chicken or fish to serve alongside your zucchini.

In the winter time, zucchini can be a true comfort food when served with other roasted vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. You can add a few roasted carrots to the pie itself, or serve as a side dish.

light green zucchini with blossoms on a brown platter

What’s the Difference Between Zucchini and Summer Squash?

Summer squash, or yellow squash, is similar to zucchini. Both are easy to grow in your backyard garden and have similar mild flavors. Yellow squash is slightly denser and firmer than green zucchini. You can substitute summer squash in several zucchini recipes, including this one, but adjust the cooking time accordingly.

baked zucchini pie on a plate

For you Zucchini lovers, here are a few more of my favorite zucchini recipes:

Yield: 8 pieces

Italian Zucchini Pie

baked italian zucchini pie

This fresh and savory Italian Zucchini Pie recipe takes the two things I love the most – zucchini and pie – and combines them into one garden-fresh dish.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sliced (or shredded) zucchini
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup butter (or oil)
  • 2 Tbs parsley flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder (I usually use "real" crushed garlic)
  • 1/4 tsp basil
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tsp. prepared mustard
  • 9" pie shell

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a 10" skillet, cook the zucchini, onions, and garlic (if using fresh) in butter and/or oil until tender (about 10 minutes).
  3. Stir in the parsley and seasonings. In a large bowl, blend the eggs and cheese together and stir into the veggie mix.
  4. Prepare the crust and spread mustard on the crust.
  5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
  6. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
  7. Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1-2 pieces

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 553Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 699mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 3gSugar: 24gProtein: 11g

Nutritional data is not always correct.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram tagging @simplifylivelove! I love to see your photos!

Italian zucchini pie is a great way to make use an abundant zucchini harvest. With its versatility and mild flavor, zucchini celebrates the flavors of summer for a wholesome homemade dinner. Whether you serve it immediately or freeze it for a ready made meal, zucchini pie will soon become a family favorite.

About Michelle Marine

Michelle Marine is the author of How to Raise Chickens for Meat, a long-time green-living enthusiast, and rural Iowa mom of four. She empowers families to grow and eat seasonal, local foods; to reduce their ecological footprint; and to come together through impactful travel.

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16 Comments

  1. I can’t wait to try this one! Zucchini is new to me this year so I’m struggling to decide what to make with it. This one sounds like a winner!

  2. Katie, I LOVE LOVE LOVE zucchini! I like it shredded and sauteed with onions and garlic and little cheese, sliced and sauteed with onions and tomatoes, cooked with ground beef and a little lemon, in this zucchini pie, in cake, and this morning I made Life as Mom’s zucchini waffles. Have you checked out her Ultimate Recipe Swap featuring tons of zucchini recipes? Yum, yum, yum. I hope I get a lot more zucchini before the bugs kill all my plants! 🙂

    1. I did check out the recipe swap and added a few of mine too! I never knew I liked zucchini until I started growing it and I am quickly realizing I love it too! I am sitting down to make this one right now, except I don’t have any pie crust on hand so I may make one from scratch. Hopefully I’ll have a yummy picture to post tonight!

        1. I made it tonight and changed it up a bit, adding yellow squash and more eggs and baking it in the cast iron skilliet in the oven sans crust. It was delicious! The kids named it “egg Cake.” 🙂

          Thanks again for sharing!

  3. Oh this sounds divine! I think I could even eat this on Weight Watchers..maybe with a few tweaks.

    Nice blog you have here.

  4. mmmm- this sounds better than the Chicken, zucchini and tomato basil bake I made tonight. I might have to try this one soon.

  5. I have the exact same recipe except it calls for crescent rolls for the crust. I am going to give it a try with a pie crust. Love your blog, BTW!

  6. dear michelle,
    your zuchini pie looks good. i love zuchini.thanks for sharing the recipe.i will it try.
    have a wonderful week,
    love regina

  7. What a delicious idea! I’m always looking for recipes for zucchini and this sounds fantastic. It would be perfect for the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, if you have time to share it 🙂