Italian Zucchini Parmesan Hotdish One Pan Recipe

Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by TheFarmChicken

…or for short Zucchini Hotdish. I enjoy making this recipe for my family for a few different reasons. It’s something different, a tasty use of all that zucchini in the late summer months, and its filling and it only takes a frying pan and simple ingredients. This Italian Zucchini Parmesan Hotdish One Pan Recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy zucchini. It is full of flavor and the perfect simple dish for a busy summer supper on the farm…or anywhere for that matter! If you are looking for a zucchini recipe to use up more zucchini you have come to the right place. You can print off the recipe card and add this to your simple recipes stash!

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The Ingredients:

This supper dish consists of noodles, beef, beef broth, zucchini, tomato, seasonings, and parmesan cheese. A delicious way to enjoy zucchini!

Noodles:

You can try different shapes of pasta if you would like but my favorite way to make this is using farfalle or bowtie pasta; penne noodles also work well! Farfalle is a fun shape and works well with the other ingredients in this dish.

If you have ever wondered about what noodles “bring” to the table, nutritionally, check this out! I bet they have more to offer than you originally thought and it’s fun to learn about what food can do to make your body healthier!

Beef:

This recipe calls for 1 pound of ground beef. We get our beef from a local rancher and enjoy purchasing our beef straight from the producer. I like to use lean ground beef, saturated fat is not good in excess, so it is just another way of lessening your intake. Another thing I do is drain the fat on the meat after I have fried it.

Seasonings:

I use ½ teaspoon salt, a ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and sometime fresh basil if I have it around. The beef broth also brings flavor to this dish. I don’t always have beef broth in the freezer so I usually use this (my favorite beef bouillon) and mix it up with hot water per the package directions to make beef broth. It is flavorful but not over salty, which I appreciate.

If you have fresh basil, you can add a few leaves chopped up in this dish. Fresh herbs add so much flavor and fresh basil is one of my favorites to work with!

Zucchini

I love that you can use zucchini squash in this recipe. In July and August especially, we have lots of zucchini and other fresh vegetables from the vegetable garden. Definitely “veggie season”! If you don’t have a vegetable garden, I’m sure you can easily find fresh zucchini in the grocery store or a farmers’ market in your area.

The zucchini is really the only thing that requires much preparation in this delicious recipe. Simply prepare the zucchini by washing it and thinly slicing; about a 1/4 inch. Then you will add the zucchini slices to the pan and boil/cook them in the liquid. This is such a great way to use zucchini and takes about 1 medium zucchini.

Nutritional Benefits of Zucchini:

Zucchini is low in fat, high in potassium and vitamin c. It also has a high water content and fiber which can aid in healthy digestion and the water content- hydration. Zucchini has some calcium and other vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6 and Magnesium. With their creamy flesh zucchini are also rich in antioxidants.

Tomato

You can use canned tomatoes for this recipe. Buy them from the store or use your home canned tomatoes; either option should work.

If you buy the canned tomatoes from the store look for a can that is about 28 ounces and says diced tomatoes. Those will work best in this easy recipe.

Parmesan Cheese

I used to use grated parmesan cheese when recipes called for parmesan but have recently switched to a shredded parmesan cheese that has little to no preservatives in it. It also is all around better and makes this main dish very good.

I like to serve some extra shredded cheese at the table to for an extra sprinkle on the hotdish once it has been plated. It adds that perfect salty taste! Mozzarella cheese would also work well as a cheese to sprinkle on top of this hotdish.

Making the Hotdish:

Only having to use one pan to make this hot dish is a major bonus when it comes to being a fast meal. Dishes are a part of life, but I am okay when they are less a part of it. Ha!

First you brown the hamburger, in a large skillet, with seasonings. Then drain the grease off and start adding the other ingredients. The tomatoes, broth, seasoning, noodles and zucchini are added and cooked through. I always love the flavor that is brought to a dish by cooking the noodles in the liquid of the said dish. So good!

The parmesan is added toward the end of the preparation of this dish and then it is ready to eat!

You can store any leftovers in the fridge. I like to put it in a small casserole dish or baking dish and it makes for easy reheating; either in the microwave or the oven!

This zucchini hotdish is such a great recipe to share around the dinner table or supper table! Serve with a crusty bread like sourdough and you have a filling meal that is both a delicious dish and an easy way to use some of that zucchini.

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Italian Zucchini Parmesan Hotdish One Pan Recipe

• 1 lb. hamburger
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups beef broth
• 1 jar (28 oz) tomatoes
• 2 ½ cups pasta, penne or farfalle
• 2 cups zucchini, sliced about 1 medium zucchini
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ cup shredded parmesan

• In a large skillet fry the hamburger on medium heat, adding in the salt, pepper, onion and garlic as it is cooking. Continue cooking until the meat is thoroughly done. Drain grease from hamburger into a small bowl and discard that grease.
• Return the pan to a medium-high heat and add the broth, Italian seasoning, tomatoes, and pasta. Push the pasta into the liquid so that it is covered by the liquid. Next prepare the zucchini and add that to the boiling mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for around 15 minutes longer.
• Next add the parmesan and heat through. Serve with parmesan on the side. Enjoy!

I hope you are able to add this, Italian Zucchini Parmesan Hotdish One Pan Recipe, to your list of suppertime meals. Let me know what you think and post any questions below. I’d love to hear from you! Thank you for stopping by TheFarmChicken!

Mariah N | TheFarmChicken

Do you like zucchini? Here is another recipe for you!

• Zucchini Bread

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