Roasted Zucchini Sauce

Roasted Zucchini Sauce in an easy and tasty sauce that adds a pop of flavor, freshness, and nutrients in a little dollop. Delicious on pasta, eggs, or as a dip. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and soy free.

About Zucchini Sauce

Sometimes it can be difficult to get veggies in your day, which is why I like to keep this Roasted Zucchini Sauce in my fridge. Whenever I make this zucchini sauce, it disappears within less than 48 hours because I put it on everything.

It's delicious as a pasta sauce or as a topping for scrambled eggs or cooked chicken. Or use it as the base of a pizza or as a dip for some sliced carrots or whole grain crackers.

I love how it adds a pop of flavor, freshness, and tons of nutrients in a little dollop. It has so much flavor, and it makes you seriously pumped to eat veggies.

The best part is how simple the Roasted Zucchini Sauce recipe is to make. You roast the veggies then blend them together with some olive oil, lemon juice, sunflower seeds, and broth. That's it!

Ingredients

Zucchini: The star ingredient of this sauce, you need fresh zucchini. I typically look for small-medium to medium-sized zucchini though because I think they have a more tender texture. However, since you are roasting and blending the zucchini, you won't really notice a difference.

Onion: Yellow, white, red, or sweet onions will all work for the sauce.

Garlic: Fresh garlic is best especially since it is roasted and will give you that extra deliciousness that only roasted garlic can give. However, garlic powder can be used in a pinch.

Olive oil: The olive oil is used for roasting the veggies as well as to add richness to the sauce. You can alternatively use avocado oil or canola oil. However, I highly recommend using olive oil for making the sauce because the flavor is hard to replace. I do not recommend using coconut oil as the coconut flavor will overpower the sauce.

Salt: You need salt to enhance your sauce. I use kosher or sea salt. Table salt could work if needed.

Broth: Vegetable broth is what I usually use, but chicken broth will also be fine. I prefer unsalted so the saltiness of the sauce is easier to control. It's easy to make your own vegetable broth or chicken broth, but store-bought will work just as well. If you use regular (not unsalted), cut back the amount of salt you add and increase as needed.

Sunflower seeds: Raw and unsalted sunflower seeds are preferred. Roasted sunflower seeds will give the sauce a much stronger flavor which I like, but it will depend on your taste preferences. Unsalted will keep your sauce from being too salty, but simply use less salt if you use salted seeds.

Lemon: The lemon adds much needed brightness. Bottled or fresh lemon juice will both work.

Cost of Recipe

• zucchini 1 pound: $0.98
• onion 1 large: $0.68
• garlic 3 cloves: $0.18
• olive oil 3 tablespoons: $0.72
• salt ¾ teaspoon: $0.02
• broth ½ cup: $0.28
• sunflower seeds ¼ cup: $0.23
• lemon juice 3 tablespoons: $0.25

TOTAL COST: $3.34 (Based on San Diego Sprouts 2020) or $0.28/serving

How to Make Zucchini Sauce

Recipe Tips

Variations

You'll notice that some of the photos have a more greenish color to the sauce. These were taken in a version where I added about 2 cups of fresh spinach and ¼ cup fresh parsley. Either option is tasty.

Ingredient Options

Olive oil: For roasting, you can use avocado oil or canola oil. I recommend using olive oil for the sauce though if possible. However, avocado or canola oil could be used in the sauce but it will not be as flavorful.

Sunflower seeds: Equal amounts of pumpkin seeds can be used in place of the sunflower seeds. If you do not need it to be nut-free, you can use pistachios, almonds or walnuts. I recommend using unsalted and raw if possible. Additionally, you can omit the seeds altogether if you want a less substantial sauce.

Additional ingredients: You can also add some extra veggies by adding in 1-2 cups of fresh spinach or ¼ cup parsley.

How to Make Allergy Friendly

This Roasted Zucchini Sauce is already vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and soy-free.

How to Fix a Mistake

Sauce too thin: Add extra sunflower seeds. Or strain the sauce over a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or coffee filter to remove excess liquid.

Sauce too thick: Add extra lemon juice or broth in tablespoon increments until it thins to your desired consistency. Alternatively, if you are using this as a pasta sauce, use some of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce.

Make Ahead Ideas

This sauce is great to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge when needed. Simply follow the directions as listed and keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

Storage Suggestions

Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to one month. Defrost in the fridge or in the microwave. Be sure to use all of the sauce you've defrosted as the sauce will break down if re-frozen and defrosted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Benefits

Zucchini is high in nutrients, vitamins and minerals like fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and Magnesium. Despite being colorless, onions also boost benefits like Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Manganese. The seeds and oil give the sauce much needed fat to help absorb the nutrients and add richness for a more satisfying sauce.

For half of a cup of sauce, you get one full serving of veggies. And it's a nutritious way to boost the taste of your meals.

What to Serve with Roasted Zucchini Sauce

This sauce is so versatile that you can serve it will practically anything. Use as a pasta sauce, over chicken or fish, on eggs, as a pizza sauce, or as a dip.

Final thoughts:

The Roasted Zucchini Sauce is great to keep in the fridge, so you can easily add flavor and nutrients to your food. While I rarely meal plan, I love having this on hand so I can make some basics like cooked chicken or quinoa and use this sauce to make them more exciting. Plus, it's such an easy way to get vitamins, minerals, and fiber in your dish.

MORE ZUCCHINI RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:

• Zucchini Lasagna
• Curry Lamb Stuffed Zucchini
• Zucchini Pizza Bites
• Roasted Zucchini and Goat Cheese
• Maple Cinnamon Zucchini Chips

Roasted Zucchini Sauce

An easy & tasty sauce that adds a pop of flavor, freshness, and tons of nutrients in a little dollop. Delicious on pasta, eggs, or as a dip

5 from 2 votes

Print Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 12

Author: Meme

Total Cost: $3.34 or $0.28/serving

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound zucchini chopped, about 3 squash
• ▢ 1 large onion chopped
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic peeled
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt divided
• ▢ ½ cup vegetable broth unsalted, or chicken broth, plus more as needed
• ▢ ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ▢ 1-3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Toss together chopped zucchini, onion, and garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish, and roast in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until browned. Set aside for a few minutes to cool.
• Transfer cooled veggies to a food processor and add broth, sunflower seeds, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Process until smooth. 
• Stream in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and one tablespoon lemon juice. Process until incorporated. Add more broth if needed.
  
• Add more lemon juice if needed {can also add more salt, olive oil, or sunflower seeds}. Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
  

Notes

*Makes 3 cups

*I use unsalted, raw seeds. Roasted sunflower seeds will give a more pronounced flavor to the sauce.

*You can also use pumpkin seeds, pistachios, almonds or walnuts. I recommend using unsalted and raw if possible. The flavor will change slightly but will still be delicious.

*You can also add extra veggies and color by adding in 1-2 cups of fresh spinach and/or ¼ cup parsley.

What to Use in This Recipe

Knife

Cutting Board

Baking Sheet

Mini Food Processor

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

[showhide type="post" more_text="Click here for Nutrition Facts" less_text="Clear Nutrition Facts"]
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Meme

This post was originally published March 10, 2014. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.

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