Zucchini Pie

A savory pie or tart recipe made with zucchini, mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.

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This recipe is a staple for my family. I've been using the hand-written copy I scribbled from Mom’s recipe book for almost twenty years now.

I'd never known anyone else to make it so imagine my delight when a friend brought it to a potluck last week!

It was like I’d run into my kindergarten teacher. And she still looked exactly the same as she did in 1979. And then she gave me the best hug.

This is a recipe Pillsbury published decades ago to use with their crescent rolls. We've made a few minor tweaks to it but, for the most part, it's the original. 

The changes I've made are really about measurements. Their recipe reads to use 4 cups of zucchini but sliced zucchini is a hard thing to measure. Depending on the size of the zucchini and what you're using to measure, "4 cups" can yield a lot of different amounts.

Just be sure to use small zucchini and start with about 1.5 pounds. It's better to have a little too much than not enough. You can always discard the little bit of excess you might have.

I really and truly SUCK at estimating what size pie pan to use for recipes. I’m ashamed to admit how many times I’ve poured whatever filling into a crust to find it only came halfway up the side. Which means I either have to start over with another pan or just have an ugly pie. 

Recipes are notoriously vague or just outright WRONG about pie pan sizes. As I’ve said before, any jackleg can make a recipe blog. Ha!

I’ve failed enough times to make me pull out my math hat and lean on some basic geometry. Sorry Mrs. Hoffman, I didn’t actually remember how to do any of it but I did look it up and employ it, so that’s something.

HOW TO DETERMINE WHICH SIZE PIE PAN TO USE

Multiply the radius (half of the diameter) times the radius again times 3.14 (pi) times the depth to get the cubic inches of the pan. To calculate the volume, divide the cubic inches by 14.44.

It’s not as hard as it sounds.

RADIUS x RADIUS x 3.14 x DEPTH = CUBIC INCHES

CUBIC INCHES / 14.44 = VOLUME

So, if I had a 9-inch pie pan that was 2 inches deep, I would multiply 4.5 x 4.5 x 3.14 x 2 which would give me 127.17 cubic inches. 127.17 x 14.44 = 8.8 cups of filling.

Then you either have to apply some common sense or literally measure the filling to determine if the pan size will work. Looking at this recipe, I see we’re starting with 6 cups of zucchini and an onion (which I know will cook down some) and adding some cheese and eggs, then I figure the crust will take up some volume and that I’m not likely to fill it all the way to the brim and I figure that size pan will be about perfect. 

This recipe is perfect for squash too! We always had a garden when I was growing up and always had more zucchini and yellow squash than we could eat so we used this recipe with both!

This really has an Italian feel to it from both the mozzarella and herbs but not so much that it doesn’t pair well with any holiday meal or Sunday dinner.

This is also great for a meatless main dish or even to serve at breakfast since it's such a close cousin to quiche!

NOTES ON COOKING ZUCCHINI PIE

Using small zucchini will allow you to measure more accurately AND will produce less liquid when cooking. You will need about 6 small zucchini or approximately 1.5 pounds. 

Use a pie pan that will hold about 8 cups of filling. Either a 2-inch deep 9-inch pan or 1.5-inch deep 10-inch pan is perfect.

The filling will not expand much when cooking so you can fill the crust pretty full.

Be sure to read the note in Step 2 about pouring out any excessive liquid. If the zucchini are older, too large or if they may have partially frozen in a super cold refrigerator, they are likely to really put off some water. 

Don't fret over the making the crust. The dough is very forgiving and pliable. Just get it in there the best you can and if it looks a mess when you're done it will just add to the rustic appeal of the recipe!

You can use a ready-made crust for this but the crescent roll crust really is worth the effort. There's just something about it that goes with this. I can't say I'd love this as much as I do without the crescent roll crust.

Don't skip the mustard. I know it sounds odd but it gives the pie a little nip of acid that balances the richness from the crust, eggs and cheese.

The original recipe uses yellow mustard but I really like dijon better. 

Recipe for Zucchini Pie

Zucchini Pie

Yield: 8 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

A savory recipe for a zucchini pie or tart with mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.

Ingredients

• 6 cups sliced zucchini (see notes)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 8-oz. can crescent rolls

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sauté zucchini and onions in butter in a large skillet for 6-8 minutes or until tender then remove from heat. Some liquid is OK but if your zucchini puts off a lot of liquid (say more than 1/4 cup), pour off excess.
3. Stir in parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil then let cool a bit while you prepare the crust.
4. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place dough pieces in ungreased 9-10 inch pie plate (see notes), press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal.
5. Brush bottom of crust with mustard. You can use the backside of a spoon or a pastry brush for this.
6. Add eggs and cheese to zucchini then stir well to incorporate.
7. Pour filling into prepared crust then bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until mostly set. If necessary, cover crust with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.
8. Remove from oven and let stand, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes for pie to set up completely before serving.

Notes

• Using small zucchini will allow you to measure more accurately AND will produce less liquid when cooking. You will need about 6 small zucchini or approximately 1.5 pounds. 
• Use a pie pan that will hold about 8 cups of filling. Either a 2-inch deep 9-inch pan or 1.5-inch deep 10-inch pan is perfect.
• The filling will not expand much when cooking so you can fill the crust pretty full.
• Be sure to read the note in Step 2 about pouring out any excessive liquid. If the zucchini are older, too large or if they may have partially frozen in a super cold refrigerator, they are likely to really put off some water. 
• Don't fret over the making the crust. The dough is very forgiving and pliable. Just get it in there the best you can and if it looks a mess when you're done it will just add to the rustic appeal of the recipe!
• You can use a ready-made crust for this but the crescent roll crust really is worth the effort. There's just something about it that goes with this.
• Don't skip the mustard. It gives the pie a little nip of acid that balances the richness from the crust, eggs and cheese.
• The original recipe uses yellow mustard but I really like dijon better. If using yellow mustard, reduce to 2 teaspoons.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2012/08/zucchini-pie.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2012

zucchini, squash, casserole, pie, tart, italian, crescent, Pillsbury, original, recipe, easy, best, cheese, quiche, meatless, mozzarella

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