This Zucchini Roasted Red Pepper Parmesan is an Italian comfort food dish that’s just perfect for Meatless Monday!
I don’t know about you folks, but it seems like there’s been a lot of comfort food on our menu lately. Today’s Zucchini Roasted Red Pepper Parmesan is the newest addition to my comfort food menu. It’s zesty, creamy, cheesy and simply delicious.
A few weeks back, I went to the little farm stand that’s close to where we live and I picked up some gorgeous zucchini, red peppers, corn, cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries and the most gorgeous blackberries. Everything was so colorful and fresh.
Up north, I wouldn’t get any of that stuff until summer really, so being able to take advantage of all Florida has to offer earlier then I’m accustomed to has been such a treat.
I think I was happiest about the zucchini. I had been thinking for weeks about making some kind of Parmesan dish.
I love eggplant Parmesan, but decided I needed to change things up a bit, so I switched out the eggplant for some grilled zucchini and red bell pepper.
Since I opted to grill the veggies instead of breading and frying them I treated myself and added some béchamel sauce (my fave). It gives this dish an ultra-creamy, rich texture that I know you’ll really enjoy.
The béchamel takes just minutes to make and I’ve made things super easy by using a jarred marinara sauce. And once you’ve grilled your veggies it’s just a matter of layering everything up in a 9×13 baking dish and baking. No need for anything but some crusty bread on the side to sop up some of the sauce and a glass of wine. Enjoy!
A few other Italian favorites here at the BHK are my Lasagna Bolognese, Italian Sausage, Peppers and Onions and my Easy Spinach Stuffed Shells.
A Few Cook’s Notes for Zucchini Roasted Red Pepper Parmesan Recipe:
You can either grill or roast your veggies in the oven. If you roast them in the oven you’ll just need to brush both sides of the slices with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake on large baking sheets in an even layer at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then flip the slices and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
I use my favorite jarred marinara sauce for this recipe, but if you’re feeling ambitious you can always make homemade.
Zucchini Roasted Red Pepper Parmesan
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 4 large zucchini, ends trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
- 4 large red bell peppers, cut off the tops, remove the ribs and seeds and cut into thick strips, about 2 1/2 inches wide
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 Tsp. nutmeg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- dried parsley, for sprinkling on top, if desired
Instructions
- Lightly brush the zucchini and red pepper slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill veggies in batches over high heat for 6-8 minutes. Remove from grill to a large platter. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- To make the bechamel sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook one minute. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat.
- In a medium bowl, combine the shredded mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- Spread 1/3 of the marinara sauce at the bottom of the prepared dish. Layer with 1/3 of the zucchini and red pepper slices. Top with 1/3 of the bechamel sauce, and half of the cheese mixture. Top with another 1/3 of the marinara, 1/3 of the zucchini and red pepper slices and 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Top with remaining zucchini and red pepper slices, bechamel sauce, marinara sauce and remaining half of the cheese mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbling and lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with dried parley flakes, if desired.
A lot of comfort food has been happening in our home lately too…and this would totally hit the spot! Love all that grill action you have. Absolutely delicious! Pinned :) Have a great week!
Nothing better than Italian comfort food! Hope you have a good week too Dawn!
I love eggplant, and I really love zucchini – so I am definitely loving the sound of this dish. I think switching it up is a great idea, and it looks superb. My kind of comfort food – yum!
Thanks so much Alex! This was such a hit! My sister and her family loved it!
I definitely wouldn’t miss the meat in this delicious dish! Such a great way to enjoy vegetable-rich comfort food :)
Thanks Jennifer!
I’m swooning! This sounds heavenly! And I can’t get enough comfort foods lately. . .have a great week, Mary Ann!
You too Kelsie!
Oh my gahhhh! My plate and fork are ready and waiting!! :)
Sooooo good Annie!
Yes, lots of comfort food here too, Mary Ann.
This dish is exquisite! So many of my favorite veggies in one rich, decadent dish. Grilling the veggies is such a nice touch – so much flavor!
Thanks Marissa!
This is a terrific meatless Monday option! Yum! I love those grilled veggies. It sure looks satisfying!
Thanks Katherine!
Holy YUM!!!! I am seriously loving absolutely everything about this dish!!! So cozy yet packed with good-for-you ingredients! This is something I could legitimately eat all the time! I can’t wait to try this! Pinned!
Hope you enjoy it Chey! It;s one of my favorites! Mr. Picky not so much. Lol!
I have a surplus of garden peppers and zucchini right now and thought I’d try this, though I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. It was delicious!! I served it with pasta and that worked well. This is a keeper recipe! Thanks!
So happy you enjoyed it Rachel! Thanks so much for following!
I can’t wait to get some fresh, local zucchini around here. This looks like wonderful and flavourful comfort food Mary Ann. Looking forward to giving it a try!
It’s so easy Leanne and one of my vegetarian comfort food favorites!
What a fabulous casserole/parmesan… I’m loving all the grilled veggies, Mare! That bechamel tho…. what a fantastic idea! Major comfort food and creamy… I’m all heart eyes!
Major comfort food is right Traci! I love it. It’s another story for Mr. Picky…ugh!
This recipe sounds absolutely delicious! Adding it to my lunch/dinner list!
Hope you enjoy it Mihaela!
Have made this twice now and it is really delicious. No changes made. Thank you.
Question; Why do people rate a recipe when they haven’t made it yet, just based on the recipe itself? It makes it hard to find a good, tried and true recipe when most of the ratings are from people who haven’t even tried it. 🤷♀️
So happy you gave the recipe a try Debbie! I know, the rating system is frustrating. I add it to the site so people can rate the recipe and so my recipes can get better traction with Google, but I can’t control when people leave the rating, either before or after they’ve tried the recipe. Sorry!
I totally understand. I was aiming the question more at the folks who are doing it. Just wondering why they do. Thank you again for a fabulous recipe.
No worries Debbie! So happy you actually tried the recipe and gave it a great review! Thanks!
Just made this tonight and it was the perfect veggie side dish. Comforting, creamy and delicious. I didn’t have any mozzarella just Parmesan and it turned out yummy.
So happy you enjoyed it Amanda!