Grated Zucchini & Cheese Bruschetta

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We seem to eat a lot of zucchini every summer, and I really mean a lot. It seems that you wait anxiously for that first zucchini to appear in the garden each summer, but much too quickly you have more zucchini than you ever wanted and are scrambling to find ways to prepare them that won’t bore the entire family.

I end up getting so busy cooking zucchini from our garden each summer that at times I forget to write out the recipe I use, and never even stop to think about taking a photo of the finished zucchini dish. Once our zucchini season finally winds down, I try to assemble some of the recipe used so that I can get them posted.

This easy bruschetta recipe came about because I had grated too many zucchini to be used in zucchini bread and zucchini pancakes one day, and not wanting to throw out the excess grated zucchini, I decided to try making a topping for bruschetta. The bruschetta really turned out so well that I have made them several times since with a few variations.

I am posting a recipe for the basic zucchini topping, but you can vary it however you prefer. I have at times added a little anchovy that I melted into the onions, while other times I add chopped capers, and have also even added diced tomatoes every so often.

I enjoy this easy bruschetta no matter how I vary it, but this basic recipe really allows the zucchini to really shine on their own. I have alos made extra of the zucchini mixture and used it the following day after storing it in the refrigerator overnight and it was just as delicious, so the zucchini mixture can be made ahead of time.

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Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Grated Zucchini & Cheese Bruschetta

Grated Zucchini & Cheese Bruschetta

Yield: Serves 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This is a great recipe to prepare when you have too many zucchini in the garden.

Ingredients

  • 12 Slices Of Crusty Bread Cut From A 4 Inch Wide Baguette
  • 1/2 Cup Finely Diced Onion
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Minced
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 Small Zucchini, Trimmed & Grated
  • 3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
  • 1/3 Cup Grated Pecorino Cheese (Parmesan Also Works Fine)
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

Instructions

  1. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and then cook the onion until softened and tender.
  2. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
  3. Add the grated zucchini to the pan and toss with the onion mixture.
  4. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
  5. Add the parsley, lemon zest, grated cheese, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, mix well.
  6. Heat the broiler and place the slices of bread on a baking sheet.
  7. Broil on one side until lightly browned.
  8. Turn and broil the other side just until the slices begin to take on color.
  9. Spread some of the zucchini mixture over each bread slice spreading it evenly to cover.
  10. Return the pan to the oven and broil until bubbly.
  11. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 2 slices
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 410Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 746mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 14g

Did you make this recipe?

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4 Comments

  1. Do You Saute The Zucchini At All After You Add It To The Garlic And Onions? Looks Awesome! Can’t Wait To Try It!

    1. No, you just mix it with the hot onion in the hot pan. You could saute it a bit if you wanted, but it does get cooked more when the bruschetta go under the broiler.

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