Cheesy Zucchini Pasta Quinoa Bake needs only 5 ingredients!
Cheesy quinoa mixed with noodles and topped with a little parmesan to form a crust make this a comfort side dish like no other. You'd probably agree that zucchini isn't much of a comfort food, but using a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles changes them from an ordinary in season summer vegetable to a fake out fantastic pasta dish!
My hubby bought me a spiralizer for Mother's day and I hadn't gotten around to using it until I saw the zucchini at Whole Foods looking quite fabulous. I've made zucchini noodles without a spiralizer as well using my Pampered Chef serrated peeler. It pretty much does the same thing, but the spiralizer will give you longer noodles that look like spaghetti. I must admit this recipe is one of the only ways my kids will actually enjoy zucchini. They aren't fond of quinoa on it's own either but were willing to try this recipe. After it came out of the oven we all took a fork and enjoyed it right from the dish! Gone in minutes!
Quinoa is considered a super food with a wonderful amount of protein and fiber and a great substitute to using rice in a dish. It's actually a seed not a grain and gluten free. The problem is my children and hubby just don't like it when they see it in a dish or just served on it's own. I have to hide it within recipes and it works like a charm. Now obviously it can't be hidden too much in this recipe, but because it looks so cheesy they were happy to try it and love it they did!
This recipe resembles closely my mini Zucchini Quinoa Cheese Bites with almost the same ingredients, but instead they are made into mini muffins and the zucchini is shredded.
Other Recipes you might like:
- Mini Zucchini Cheese Bites
- Mini Herb Baked Quinoa Bites
- Crock Pot Chocolate Quinoa Brownies
- Mini Chocolate Quinoa brownie bites
- Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters
I can't guarantee you're family will eat zucchini or quinoa on their own served plainly at dinner but combining them into this masterpiece they are surely going to want to try at least a bite and that single bite might be enough to win them over. If not you can enjoy it all to yourself for a few days worth!
Brenda's notes:
- Add some protein and make this into just 2 servings for a meal or keep as a side dish for 4.
- You can use any oil of choice in this recipe as well as cheese of choice.
- To make one cup cooked quinoa, add ½ cup dry quinoa to a pot with 1 cup water. Boil 12-15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
Cheesy Zucchini Quinoa Bake
Ingredients
- 4 cups zucchini noodles or 2 medium zucchini
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss zucchini, cheddar, quinoa, oil and salt together in a bowl then spread into an 8 by 8 baking dish.
- Sprinkle parmesan over the top and bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden.
Notes
Nutrition
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About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
chris
This is perfect for Super Bowl as a healthish alternative to all the other fare. I put a bit more cheese in and serve it as a dip with Tostitos chips--whole wheat!!! Have made many times. Thanks for the easy to follow recipe.
Fran
Very yummy! I added a couple tsp. of minced garlic and topped it with a little less Parmesan, but also threw on some well-crushed cheese-its (that were a little stale, but I hated to throw away.). Tasty!
Lynne
This was so yummy! My husband even gave it a thumbs up! Great dish to take to a pot luck! Tastes like mac and cheese.
Brenda
Nice! Thanks for coming back to share your results!
Lauren
This is in the oven right now, and this is the third time I have made this! SO DELICIOUS! I added chicken, sauteed mushrooms, chopped spinach and basil. I have tried this recipe also with yam noodles, which tasted even better as leftovers. Thank you for such a wonderful dish!
Brenda
Great adaptions!
Oberon
We love this recipe, and have linked to it from our Veggie Spiraliser page on FB! We think the Noodle Doodle customers will love it too!
Leiroze
Mine was delicious but came out soupy from the melted cheese any remedy for that?
Brenda
It is more like a risotto, creamy, but do you change any ingredients? use a different cheese? Use more zucchini (which is full of water)?
Anna
I used half the amount of cheese (for cholesterol's sake) and it still came out great and not soupy at all. Loved it!