You can make this low-carb Zucchini Pizza Casserole in an hour! It features a shredded zucchini crust topped with ground beef and tomato sauce and includes Parmesan, Pecorino, and provolone cheeses!
I've been seeing shredded zucchini casserole recipes all over the internet, but wanted to put more of an Italian spin on it. Taking cues from my Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers, I added Pecorino Romano, Homemade Marinara Sauce, fresh basil and more onions. I also amped up the flavor by replacing the cheddar and mozzarella with provolone cheese.
The result? A meaty, low-carb pizza casserole that's a hit with my whole family!
And if you're looking for more low-carb zucchini recipes, don't miss this Meatless Zucchini Lasagna or these Parmesan Zucchini Rounds!
Recipe ingredients
Zucchini: You'll need four cups of shredded zucchini. One small one yields one cup, so you could use four small zucchini, or try shredding two or three medium ones and see how much you have.
Tomato Sauce: You'll need three or four cups of tomato sauce, including some that will be mixed into the meat layer, plus extra to ladle over each serving. I use my go-to sauce linked in the recipe card at the end of this post, omitting the onions. There are onions in the meat mixture already.
Ground Beef: I recommend using no leaner than 90% lean ground beef. The meat plays a prominent role here and needs some fat to be flavorful. You can use 85% lean if you wish, but you'll have more fat to drain after cooking it.
If desired, you can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken or even ground sausage.
Parmesan & Pecorino Romano: Pecorino is made from sheep's milk and brings a pungent, salty accent that perfectly complements the Parmesan. Grate the cheeses yourself for the best texture and flavor.
Provolone: This wouldn't be a zucchini pizza bake without melted cheese! Provolone provides sharper flavor than mozzarella, and we really enjoy it here. You can purchase a block of provolone at the deli counter and shred it yourself for the best melting quality.
Of course, feel free to use mozzarella instead, if that's what you have.
How to shred zucchini
The best way to shred zucchini is with a food processor, using the disc with small holes. This is my favorite food processor (affiliate link).
If you don't own a food processor, you can shred zucchini by scraping it against the holes of a block grater. The grated zucchini will be smaller and more watery than if you used a food processor, but you can squeeze it dry.
Or, if you have a Kitchenaid mixer, you can use a shredding attachment (affiliate link) to handle the job.
How to remove water from shredded zucchini
To prevent a soggy zucchini casserole, it's important to remove as much moisture as you can from the squash. I recommend squeezing, rolling and patting the zucchini dry.
- Salt the shredded zucchini and let it rest in a colander for 10 minutes.
- Squeeze fistfuls of the zucchini to let the moisture drip out.
- Roll up the squeezed zucchini in a clean, lint-free kitchen towel while pressing down.
- Pat the zucchini dry with paper towels, squeezing again if needed.
How to make a Zucchini Pizza Casserole
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
Prepare the zucchini crust
- Shred the zucchini and squeeze out as much water as you can.
- Combine with the eggs, Parmesan and provolone cheeses.
- Press the mixture into a greased casserole dish.
- Bake until golden and browned at the edges.
Make the ground meat layer & assemble
- Cook the ground meat and onions in a skillet. Drain any liquid.
- Add the prepared tomato sauce and stir to combine.
- Mix in Pecorino Romano.
- Top the zucchini crust with the meat mixture and sprinkle the remaining provolone cheese on top. Bake until heated through.
Recipe tips
- Let the zucchini hamburger casserole sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it, so the layers can set.
- This dish tastes even better the next day! Also, the zucchini crust layer will become more defined.
- You can freeze any leftover shredded zucchini in a zip-top freezer bag. Then you can boil the zucchini another day and enjoy it with tomato sauce, or use it for walnut zucchini bread.
What to serve with it
Serve the ground beef zucchini casserole topped with fresh basil ribbons and extra tomato sauce. For a low-carb, gluten-free meal, consider sides like a simple Italian green salad or sautéed eggplant cubes.
If you're not worried about carbs, you could serve pasta or boiled rice tossed with the extra tomato sauce.
More recipes like this
- Italian Zucchini Bake
- Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Sausage and Egg Casserole Without Bread
- Italian Turkey Meatloaf
- Shrimp Stew Recipe with Zucchini
Enjoy!
If you try this low-carb Zucchini Pizza Casserole, please leave a comment and a rating!
Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
Zucchini Crust
- 4 cups unpeeled, shredded zucchini (from 4 small zucchini)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs (large or extra-large)
- 1 ½ cups shredded provolone or mozzarella (Buy an 8-ounce block to shred for divided use. See notes.)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Ground Meat Layer
- 1 pound ground beef (90% lean works well. Or use 85%.)
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 medium onion or ⅓ of a large sweet onion)
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce without onions (plus extra sauce for serving)
- ½ cup shredded provolone (or mozzarella)
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Note, you'll need around a quart of marinara sauce already made. Make a batch of Mamma C's marinara sauce without onions a day ahead or use your favorite brand.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- To shred the zucchini, first rinse the whole zucchini squashes and pat them dry. Cut off the stem and root ends and discard those. Use a food processor fitted with the shredding disc (with holes) to shred the zucchini. Or, you can shred the zucchini using the holes on a box grater. Measure out 4 cups of shredded zucchini to use and store any leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer (see notes.)
- Place the shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle on ½ teaspoon of salt to draw out moisture. Let it sit for 10 minutes. During this time, grate the Parmesan and Pecorino and shred the provolone or mozzarella.
- After 10 minutes, squeeze handfuls of zucchini over a small bowl (to catch any zucchini that might fall), letting the liquid drip out. Then place the squeezed zucchini onto a clean, lint-free kitchen towel. Start at one short end and roll up the zucchini in the towel, firmly squeezing as you go. Then use paper towels to pat the zucchini dry, squeezing if needed.
- Add the dried zucchini to a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to beat the two eggs in a measuring cup. Pour the beaten eggs into the bowl with the zucchini. Add 1 ½ cups shredded provolone or mozzarella, ½ cup grated Parmesan and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper. Stir to combine. Add the mixture to a greased 9x13 pan.
- Bake the zucchini crust at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, uncovered, or until it's browned around the edges, golden in the center and firm.
Make the Meat Layer
- While the crust is baking, chop the onion until you have 1 cup. Add the ground beef and chopped onions to a 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned and the onions are tender. Turn off the heat and drain any liquid by tilting the pan and using a spoon to scoop it out to discard.
- Stir in 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce to the meat mixture. Add 1 cup of grated Pecorino and stir to combine. Cook the mixture for a couple of minutes, until it's heated through. Spread the meat mixture evenly on top of the baked zucchini crust.
- Top the meat with ½ cup of shredded provolone or mozzarella in an even layer. Wear oven gloves to transfer the hot pan to the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Let the casserole rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing it, so it can set. While it's resting, gently rinse the basil leaves and pat them dry. Stack a few leaves, roll them up, and slice them into ribbons. Serve each portion with some basil sprinkled on top and ladle on some heated tomato sauce.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Refrigerate any leftover marinara sauce for up to four days after it was made.
Notes
- Prep time does not include making the tomato sauce. If you need to make some, add 20 minutes to the recipe time.
- It's best to shred the cheese yourself, because it will melt better. The shredded stuff sold in stores has an anti-caking agent that makes it not melt as smoothly. You can buy an 8-ounce block of provolone at the deli counter.
- If you end up with extra shredded zucchini, you can refrigerate or freeze it after squeezing out the moisture. Place it in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator for up to four days or freeze it for up to three months. You can boil it to enjoy with the leftover tomato sauce and some grated cheese, or use it to make zucchini bread.
- The Zucchini Pizza Casserole reheats very well and tastes even better the next day, with the layers more defined.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C)
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