Sephardic zucchini casserole, known as almodrote, combines ricotta, crumbled feta, and Gruyère for a creamy, cheesy dish. This simple, crustless casserole is easy to make and will sure to become a family favorite.
About This Recipe
This crustless zucchini casserole, known as almodrote, is a beloved dish in Sephardic cuisine, and a recipe my mom made often when I was growing up. Shredded yellow squash or zucchini is mixed with ricotta, crumbled feta, and Parmesan, then baked until puffed and irresistibly creamy.
I’ve updated the family recipe by adding nutty Gruyère and a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano, which also has roots in Sephardic cooking.
Sephardic recipes often go by different names. This version, sometimes called Turkish Zucchini Pie, is closely tied to Sephardic Jews from Turkey—where my ancestry comes from.
📋 Ingredients
- Yellow Squash: Use either yellow summer squash or green zucchini for this casserole, either will work.
- Ricotta Cheese: Look for a creamy full fat ricotta cheese for the best flavor and texture.
- Gruyere Cheese: This is a modern spin that is not traditional in Sephardic casseroles, but gives a delicious savory and nutty layer. You can also use gouda.
- Feta and Parmesan: Look for sheeps milk feta that is packed in brine, which will be nice and creamy. Both the feta cheese and Parmesan give the casserole a delicious salty layer of flavor.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are lighter than traditional breadcrumbs and my prefered ingredient. If you are making this for Passover, substitute with matzo meal.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute green zucchini in place of the yellow squash, but if you can find yellow squash, definitely use that.
- For Passover: Use matzo meal or freshly crushed matzo instead of panko breadcrumbs
- Different Cheeses: I love the combination of feta, ricotta and Gruyere but feel free to play around and use different cheese such as mozzarella or gouda.
How to make Turkish Zucchini Pie
Step 1. To a bowl, add the shredded squash, ricotta, feta cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs and half of the Gruyere and mix well.
Step 2. Transfer the mixture to an oiled casserole dish and top with the rest of the Gruyere and Parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 min.
Recipe Tips
- Squeeze the Zucchini: Remove excess moisture from the shredded zucchini to avoid a soggy casserole.
- Make It Ahead: This casserole can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge. Reheat it gently in the oven to maintain its creamy texture.
More Sephardic Recipes
Sephardic Zucchini Casserole
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded yellow squash or shredded zucchini about 2 medium sized zucchini
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¾ cup grated Gruyere cheese divided
- 3 whole eggs
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs or sub Matzo meal for Passover
- 1 teaspoon olive oil for oiling casserole dish
- Grated Parmesan
- Chives optional, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you haven't already, shred the squash or zucchini using the larger holes of a box grater and squeeze out any excess moisture.
- Add the shredded squash to a large bowl along with the ricotta, crumbled feta, ½ cup of Gruyere, eggs and breadcrumbs and mix everything to combine.
- Lightly oil a medium sized casserole dish and pour in the squash and cheese mixture.
- Top with the remaining ¼ cup Gruyere cheese and a healthy grating of Parmesan cheese and bake for 35 minutes, until puffed up and bubbly. If you want to brown the top a bit, place the casserole under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, keeping a close eye on the top so it doesn't burn.
- Once done, let it cool slightly and top with the optional chopped chives.
Notes
-
- Squeeze the Zucchini: Remove excess moisture from the shredded zucchini to avoid a soggy casserole.
- Make It Ahead: This casserole can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge. Reheat it gently in the oven to maintain its creamy texture.
- Substitute green zucchini in place of the yellow squash, but if you can find yellow squash, definitely use that
- Different Cheeses: I love the combination of feta, ricotta and Gruyere but feel free to play around and use different cheese such as mozzarella or gouda.
- For Passover: Use matzo meal or freshly crushed matzo instead of panko breadcrumbs
Maria Guerra says
This recipe was super easy to make and so delicious. Kitchen smelled amazing while it cooked. I sent the recipe to several friends because I know they’ll love it too.
Samantha Ferraro says
Hi Maria, So glad to hear. It is one of my most popular recipes. Thank you so much for sharing my recipe and the wonderful feedback. My second cookbook has some similar recipes. Happy Holidays, Samantha.
Pat says
I was very impressed with the flavors and ease of making this dish. I used one of the last zucchini I harvested from our garden. It was amazing! The richness of the dish is awesome. I can’t decide whether to continue making it as a main course or a side, maybe in a muffin pan for individual servings. And like many other’s comments, the leftovers were DELICIOUS! My only issue is that the scallions don’t stick to the pie…..
Samantha Ferraro says
Hi Pat, Ohhhhh Like the muffin pan idea. We have had it as a main brunch corse. Thank yo for the feedback. Samantha.
MrnMrsindkitchen says
This Savory Turkish Zucchini Pie was originally a side dish I made for a dinner party. We had leftovers so I microwaved it in the morning and had it for breakfast and it was great.
Sky says
We had a busy weekend planned with friends over so I made enough servings of this zucchini pie for 8 people and served it at brunch on Sunday with a bunch of fresh fruit and pastries. All I did was reheat the Zucchini pie and everybody was happy and glad they found something new. It really was the talk of the day with our guests.