These roasted courgettes provençale are one of my favourite side dishes in the summer.
They are really simple and take just a few minutes to prepare.
This is a really simple French recipe for cheesy courgettes with a crunchy breadcrumb topping, packed full of the flavours of garlic and parsley.
These baked courgettes have their seeds removed, meaning that they keep their shape and texture and don't become watery.
Great for summer barbecues, as a starter or vegetarian main meal too.
Bon appétit!

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Do you get to the summer months and find that, as usual you have so many courgettes in the garden and, you are running out of ideas of what to do with them?
This is definitely me.
However, with rising prices, we really can't let anything go to waste, so this recipe is definitely a keeper as it's easy and uses pantry staples.
I'm really not a fan of mushy courgettes, so for this recipe I've scraped the seeds out, which allows the topping to get nicely crunchy too.
Why you will love this dish
- Enjoy as a main meal, side dish or starter
- Freezable
- Uses pantry staples
- No soggy courgettes!
- Cheesy and crunchy topping
🥘 Ingredients
- Courgettes - also known as zucchini. I prefer to use medium large courgettes that are not too thick. They seem to lose taste and become more watery when they get too big.
- Salt - cooking or table salt.
- Pepper - freshly ground black pepper.
- Garlic - garlic cloves rather than dried granules or powder.
- Parsley - fresh parsley.
- Cheese - I am using Gruyère cheese because it has a great nutty taste and still melts easily.
- Breadcrumbs - panko breadcrumbs for the crunchy topping. Panko breadcrumbs are proceesed into flakes before they are dried. This means that you get a bigger breadcrumb that remains really crunchy and absorbs less oil.
- Oil - olive oil for flavour. No need to use virgin or extra virgin olive oil.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍽 Equipment
- Roasting dish
- Sharp knife
- Grater
🔪 Instructions
Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and add the salt and pepper.
Crush the garlic and chop the parsley then add to the mixture.
Wash the courgettes and trim the ends.
Cut in half lengthways and cut each piece in half.
Remove the seeds using a spoon.
💭 Top Tip
- Try using a grapefruit spoon to remove the seeds. The serrated edge makes this really easy.
- Although there is no need to peel the courgettes it is helpful to use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel along the length of the rounded side. This helps to stop them rolling around on the oven tray.
Place the courgettes on the oven tray and fill the centres with the breadcrumb mixture.
Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
⏲️ Baking Time
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4 and bake for 20 minutes.
Grate the cheese over the baked courgettes.
Bake for a further 10 minutes.
Serve the baked courgettes immediately.
The cheese and breadcrumbs will be crispy on top and the courgettes will be cooked without being watery.
🥗 Serve with
Serve roasted courgettes provençale with your favourite dip as a starter or serve them with grilled, roasted or fried meat and fish.
Here are a few of my favourites:
- Venison Burgers
- Lamb with Pomegranate Molasses
- Salmon Meunière
- Cod Mornay with Prawns
- Pinchos de Pollo
- Chicken Philadelphia
- Vietnamese Grilled Chicken
- Simple Roast Gammon
- Minted Lamb Burgers
- Sausage Skewers
Substitutions
- Panko - use regular dried breadcrumbs or make your own. Remove the crusts from white bread, break into pieces. Place on an oven tray and bake at 160 C / 310 F / 140 FAN / Gas 2.5 until the bread is dried out. Allow to cool then pulse in a food processor to get the breadcrumb size you prefer.
- Gruyère - use any cheese that melts easily, such as mozzarella, cheddar, or gouda.
- Fresh parsley - replace a tablespoon of fresh herbs with a teaspoon of dried parsley.
📖 Variations
- Sun dried tomatoes - drain and chop and add to the courgettes first.
- Shallots - chop finely and add to the courgettes first.
- Pine nuts - chop and mix with the breadcrumbs.
- Herbs - use basil, oregano, savoury or a mixture if you prefer.
- Tomatoes provençale - rather than make roasted courgettes provençale, slice tomatoes in half and use the same topping.
Storage
- Refrigerator - cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - pack the baked courgettes into containers and freeze for up to a month for best results. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- To reheat - in a preheated oven at 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4 for 10 - 15 minutes covered with foil.
Prepare in Advance
- Prepare the courgettes, cover with cling film and leave in the refrigerator. Add the panko mix just before cooking to stop it from soaking up moisture from the courgettes.
FAQs
The term provençale typically means that the dish has origins in the Provence region.
Ingredients typically, but not always include tomatoes, garlic, onions, herbs, mushrooms and olive oil.
It can also relate to a rich tomato sauce served with fish or cooked with chicken.
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais
More side dishes to try
- Roast Savoy Cabbage
- Green Beans Almondine
- Celeriac Purée
- French Peas
- Leeks in White Sauce
- Honey Roasted carrots and Parsnips
- Courgette and Sweetcorn Fritters
📋 Recipe
Roasted Courgettes Provençale
Equipment
- roasting dish
- sharp knife
- Grater
Ingredients
- 2 courgettes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon parsley
- 50 g Gruyere cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 30 g panko
Instructions
- Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and add the salt and pepper. Crush the garlic and chop the parsley then add to the mixture.
- Wash the courgettes and trim the ends. Cut in half lengthways and cut each piece in half.
- Remove the seeds using a spoon.
- Place the courgettes on the oven tray and fill the centres with the breadcrumb mixture.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4 and bake for 20 minutes.
- Grate the cheese over the courgettes and bake for a further 10 minutes then serve.
Notes
- Try using a grapefruit spoon to remove the seeds. The serrated edge makes this really easy.
- Although there is no need to peel the courgettes it is helpful to use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel along the length of the rounded side. This helps to stop them rolling around on the oven tray.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
More French side dishes
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Do you have a question or did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. Your name and email are required to avoid spam comments; they are never used for any purpose or shared with third parties.
However, due to spam comments, I do have to moderate each one, so don't worry if you cannot see your comment immediately. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can.
Amanda
Hi Deb. I've just checked the recipe card and can see I left off the panko! Sorry for the confusion. It's 30g for 4, so 15g for 2. I've updated it now. Let me know if you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks, Amanda
Deb
Hi Amanda!
I am looking forward to making this recipe. It sounds delish!
Not quite sure how much Panko breadcrumb to use for 2 people?
If you could let me know, i would be most grateful.
Looking forward for more wonderful recipes.
Deb.
kushigalu
Wow! What a delicious looking recipe. I would love to try this for my family soon. Thanks for sharing
Sarah
Love courgettes and this side dish was delicious and so simple to make!
Natalie
Amanda, this looks and tastes divine! Your roasted courgettes were the main topic at the party, thanks!
Anjali
This was such an easy side dish, perfect for spring and summer! Even my kids loved it thanks to the cheese and delicious flavors!
Tara
The addition of Gruyere cheese and garlic were divine! I really enjoyed the taste of the parsley, too. Very well flavored. Thank you!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family
Cam
I love anything with gruyere cheese so these roasted courgettes quickly made it into my recipe rotation! I love how crispy and delicious they turn out!C
beth
Roasted courgettes are one of my favourite summer sides. Loving the cheesy topping in this recipe.
Andrea
These are delicious with both parmesan and the Gruyere cheese! So easy to make and everyone loves. Great recipe.