Zucchini Pashtida (Casserole)

Name: Zucchini Pashtida (Casserole)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6-8 servings
Cuisine: Middle East
Ingredients: 5 medium-sized zucchinis; 2 medium-sized yellow onions; 1 egg; ½ cup olive oil; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Labneh; Fresh oregano leaves; Sumac; Tomato seeds

Total Time: About 1 hour, plus cooling time

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Hillel Gardi is a shepherd and chef who forages his food and prefers to cook in the field over an open fire rather than in a traditional kitchen. While he doesn’t consider himself a lover of pashtida — a vegetable casserole bound together by eggs — there’s one exception: This recipe from his late, beloved grandmother.

She used to make it in large quantities and freeze it, perfectly sliced. Every Shabbat she would thaw a piece and serve it as part of the family’s lunch spread. When she suddenly passed away, the family found extra pashtidas tucked away in her freezer. Each was treated as a valuable treasure, thawed and eaten.

Hillel believes the secret to the recipe is how thin it is — it’s crispy, yet tender. He recommends topping a slice with goat milk labneh, a sprinkling of sumac, and fresh oregano leaves, maybe some chopped scallion or hot chile pepper, and squeezing some tomato seeds on top.

This recipe first appeared on Asif: Culinary Institute of Israel, our partners from 2021 until its closure in spring 2026. Cafe Asif remains open.

Ingredients

6-8 servings

5 medium-sized zucchinis
2 medium-sized yellow onions
1 egg
½ cup olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

Labneh
Fresh oregano leaves
Sumac
Tomato seeds

SidesVegetarianEasyShavuotMiddle EastVegetable-Forward

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 2

Grate the zucchini and onions using the large holes of a box grater. Wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze well to remove the excess liquid.

Step 3

Mix the zucchini and onion with the remaining ingredients and pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan, in an even layer. Bake uncovered in the oven until the pashtida is golden brown with dark edges, 35-40 minutes.

Step 4

Remove the pashtida from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes before cutting a piece, topping it with a dollop of labneh, fresh oregano leaves, a sprinkle of sumac, and tomato seeds.