Recipe Snapshot
- Dish: Savory zucchini quick bread with pesto, Parmesan, and pine nuts
- Flavor Profile: Fresh basil, nutty Parmesan, buttery pine nuts, and mild zucchini
- Key Ingredients: Basil pesto adds fresh herb flavor, buttermilk creates a light, tender crumb
- Method: Grated zucchini is squeezed dry, then folded into a buttermilk batter before baking into two golden loaves.
- Servings: 16 slices (2 loaves)
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Effort Level: Easy
Savory Zucchini Bread with an Italian Twist
Most savory zucchini bread recipes rely on cheddar and other cheeses for flavor, but this version takes a different approach. Basil pesto, Parmesan cheese, scallions, and pine nuts give it an Italian-inspired, fresh herb flavor, while buttermilk keeps the bread light and creates a tender, moist crumb.
Squeezing the excess moisture from the zucchini helps maintain that light texture, and a couple of tablespoons of pesto adds just the right amount of basil flavor. Homemade pesto is wonderful here, but a good-quality store-bought version works beautifully too. The result is a savory quick bread that’s a little different from the usual. Serve it plain, toasted and buttered for breakfast, or alongside a salad or bowl of soup.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
A few key ingredients make this recipe work – here’s what to know. A complete list with quantities is in the recipe card below.
- Pesto – We always opt to make a batch of basil and parsley pesto for this bread and use the leftovers to toss with pasta. Store-bought pesto is a great shortcut, though, and works well.
- Buttermilk – Full-fat buttermilk gives the bread a soft, tender crumb. If you don’t have any, make a quick substitute by mixing 1 cup whole milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar and letting it sit for 15 minutes. You can also use plain yogurt (not Greek) thinned with milk.
- Pine nuts – Pine nuts add a buttery crunch, but feel free to skip them altogether or substitute chopped walnuts, although they will change the flavor a little.
- Cheese – Grated Parmesan adds a nutty, savory element to this quick bread. You can swap in Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano for similar flavor.
A Quick Look at Preparation
How to Make Savory Zucchini Bread
Here’s how this dish comes together, along with a few tips for the best results. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Start by grating the zucchini and squeezing out the excess moisture using cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel. Next whisk the wet ingredients together (eggs, buttermilk, olive oil, and pesto) before combining them with the dry mix of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, Parmesan, and pine nuts.
The mixture comes together into a thick, spoonable dough. Stir in the grated zucchini and scallions, divide between two greased loaf pans, and bake until golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Once baked, let the loaves rest in the pan briefly before cooling fully on a wire rack.
Tested Tip
Some recipes skip squeezing the liquid from the zucchini, but we don’t recommend that shortcut. Zucchini varies in moisture, and too much liquid can lead to soggy bread.
More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
Quick breads are a satisfying way to bake without the time and effort of yeast dough. If you enjoy this recipe, try our Chocolate Zucchini Bread, a lightly sweetened treat made with buttermilk; Sour Cream Banana Bread, a longtime favorite with rich banana flavor and a moist, tender crumb; or Cinnamon Walnut Quick Bread, which delivers warm cinnamon roll flavor with just 15 minutes of prep time.
Savory Zucchini Bread with Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb zucchini, coarsely grated (see notes)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter 2 standard loaf pans (9 x 5 x 3-inches).
- Use a box grater to grate the zucchini (see notes), then wrap the grated zucchini in a double thickness of cheesecloth and wring out the excess liquid (see notes below). Place in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, olive oil and pesto together until well blended. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Stir in the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Combine with the wet ingredients, then stir in the zucchini and scallions and mix until blended. Don't overmix.Note: The mixture will be stiff – more like a dough than a batter.
- Divide the mixture between the prepared loaf pans and bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling racks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is incredibly tasty, excellent as garnishing for grilled meat with a little yoghurt dip. I can imagine it with soups, as well. It’s indeed savory, with such well-balanced, heartwarming, yet enticing flavors. Definitely a keeper, thank you!