Baked Zucchini and Squash

This vegan baked zucchini and squash is a delicious summer vegetable side dish made with tomato sauce, zucchini, yellow squash, and fresh herbs.

Each summer, as the garden veggies start to pile up in my kitchen, I find myself returning to a few of my favorite recipes again and again.

When the tomatoes are ready, I make (and freeze) baked tomatoes and slow-roasted tomatoes.

As soon as the garden hot peppers begin to stack up in my crisper drawer, I make homemade hot sauce.

Make sure you're following along with my Instagram stories to see my tomatoes and hot peppers growing bigger and bigger!

And when we have lots of eggplant and zucchini, we love eating my vegan ratatouille. It's a family favorite.

As you probably know, when a recipe is a favorite, it tends to get tweaked and changed depending on my mood or what's available in the kitchen that day.

And guys, I think I've made every possible variation of ratatouille.

Recently, one of my favorite versions didn't actually include any eggplant or fresh tomatoes, so I'm not sure if it can technically be called ratatouille anymore.

Instead, we'll call this dish baked zucchini and squash. It doesn't sound quite as fancy, but it's equally delicious.

This French-inspired baked zucchini and squash is a perfect way to use a bunch of summer squash at once. It's a healthy veggie side dish that brings out all the best flavors from your delicious garden harvest.

How Many Zucchini and Squash Do I Need?

You'll want to have about four pounds of zucchini and squash. That's around 6 small squash or 4 medium-sized squash.

I use an analog kitchen scale to weigh my produce, but you can simply estimate in this recipe if needed.

If four pounds of squash doesn't even come close to using all of your summer squash harvest, check out this zucchini rice gratin.

Do I Need a Mandoline?

No, you most definitely do not.

All you really need is a sharp knife and a little patience. I recommend this Wusthof santoku knife.

That said, using a mandoline will make the veggie slicing go a lot more quickly. I recommend buying a mandoline that includes a guard to protect your fingers, like this OXO mandoline.

How to Make Baked Zucchini and Squash

Start by spreading a thin layer of tomato sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce) in the base of a large oven-safe pan or casserole dish. I used this Lodge 11" enamel cast-iron skillet.

Sprinkle some fresh herbs, salt, and a little olive oil over the tomato sauce.

Next, arrange the zucchini and squash concentrically around the pan. It looks really pretty if you alternate back and forth between zucchini and squash.

I find it easiest to arrange the sliced squash along the outside of the pan first, and then work in.

Don't worry about the squash looking perfect, just keep arranging in the pan.

When you get to the center of the pan, arrange the sliced squash to fill in the middle so that the pan is completely full.

If you're using a rectangular or square pan (instead of a round pan), it might be easier to simply arrange the squash in rows.

Finally, cover the pan in parchment paper and bake until the veggies are tender.

I like to serve this baked zucchini and squash along with some with this pan-seared halibut or air fryer salmon, a side of Instant Pot jasmine rice, and an icy cold glass of basil lemonade.