Zucchini Pie Recipe: 4 Tips for Making Zucchini Pie

A zucchini pie is a round, savory preparation of summer squash. Some preparations involve pie crust, while others are crustless, but most recipes complement the zucchini with cheese, eggs, and aromatics.

Tender, mildly sweet zucchinis are equally at home in savory dishes and desserts (like zucchini bread and zucchini cobbler). You can prepare this summer squash in various ways, each with its implications for texture. Serve zucchini pie as a side dish or brunch-friendly main course.

Recipes for zucchini pie can be as simple as a cheesy gratin or casserole-style dish baked in a pie dish. In contrast, other recipes involve outer crusts or incorporate a store-bought baking mix for a fluffy, cake-like crustless pie that surrounds the veggies (make your own with a bit of seasoned flour or self-rising flour, enhanced with leaveners like baking powder). Get inspired by these delicious recipes and formats:

1. 1. Kolokithopita: This traditional Greek pie combines grated zucchini with fresh herbs and salty feta cheese in a crispy, wrinkled outer layer of phyllo dough. It will remind you of that other beloved savory pie of the Mediterranean, spanakopita.
   
2. 2. “Spaghetti” pie: In this gluten-free spin on Italian spaghetti pie, spiralized or shredded zucchini takes the place of last night’s pasta noodles in a marinara-style tomato sauce. (The concept is similar to zucchini lasagna.) This crustless zucchini pie gets baked directly in an oven-safe skillet or pie pan.
3. 3. Quiche- or frittata-style pie: For a zucchini quiche or frittata, layer thin zucchini slices directly in a skillet, pie plate, or a blind-baked pie crust, then cover it with a mixture of beaten eggs, heavy cream, herbs, and various seasonings. Bake the pie until it’s tender and set, with a golden-brown sheen over the top.

Zucchini pie contains all the appeal of a cheesy, savory casserole dish in an easy-to-slice presentation. Here’s what to keep in mind:

1. 1. Incorporate yellow squash and red bell pepper. Add bright contrast and color to your zucchini pie with diced yellow squash and bell peppers. The three cook up at roughly the same rate, making it easy to mix and match in any recipe.
2. 2. Use a food processor. Depending on the style of zucchini pie you plan to make—and how many zucchinis you need to use up—a food processor can help speed up the prep process. Many food processors come equipped with spiralizing or grater attachments for tackling larger batches.
3. 3. Plan ahead. If you or someone you know has a productive green thumb, and you find yourself the lucky owner of more than a pie’s worth of zucchini, prepare the extras and keep them in the freezer for later. Here’s how to freeze zucchini.
4. 4. Store in an airtight container. Like a regular pie, zucchini pie will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for three to four days. Reheat leftover zucchini pie in a toaster oven for best results.