Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche with Parmesan Crust

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As you know, my husband and I entertain quite a bit.  Well every other week or so Derek has a group of friends over and one of is them is our friend that’s a vegetarian.  While all of his friends are always appreciative of whatever we serve for dinner, I like to try to make something that feels like it was vegetarian, not just something without meat. Know what I mean?  I like quiche for this purpose and also because it’s sort of the whole meal.  We already had zucchini and goat cheese in the fridge, so they seemed like good candidates for the filling.  It’s funny that whenever I don’t think of something being “blog worthy” is when it ends up being the tastiest, he he.  I also wanted to make a savory crust with extra flavor so I used my normal pie crust recipe without the sugar and added some Parmesan cheese.  That was actually my favorite part about this quiche.

Let’s get to it!

You’ll start by sautéing the zucchini and onions.  You want to do this first, so that it has time to cool before being added to the eggs. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the zucchini, onions garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Cooking the veggies also gest some of the liquid out (no one wants a soggy quiche!).  Cook them until the zucchini is tender and the liquid has cooked out, about 10 minutes.  Set that aside while you make the crust.

This crust is the same pie crust I use with some minor tweaks.  Start by adding the flour, salt and Parmesan to a large bowl and mix it with a fork.  I recommend freshly grated Parmesan instead of that stuff in the green can, for a more intense flavor.

Now cut in the shortening and butter with a pastry cutter (or your hands) until it’s the size of peas or smaller.

Now add the ice water.  Start with about 1/2 cup and mix that in with a spoon.  Add a few more tablespoons of water if needed and mix until the dough just comes together.

Now roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and place it in a pie plate. You’ll trim the edges once it’s filled. Put that on a plate and chill in the fridge while you get the filling together.

Preheat your oven and in another bowl whisk together your eggs and remaining salt.  Whisk in the heavy cream and crumble in the goat cheese.  If you can, use the softer kind of goat cheese (typically sold in log form). Whisk that in until it’s in smaller chunks.  Now fold in the veggies.

You’re ready to put it all together.  Take your pie dish out of the fridge and pour the egg filling in it.

Now trim the edges of dough and pinch them (or make a fancy design if you’d prefer).  If you have leftover scraps of dough you can cut them into shapes and bake them on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes.  They make flaky pie crust “crackers”. 🙂

Bake the quiche in the oven for 45-50 minutes until it’s golden and only has a small jiggle in the center.

Let it cool 20 minutes and then slice and enjoy!

The goat cheese adds creamy pockets of savory flavor and pairs wonderfully with the Parmesan crust and zucchini. This quiche also makes excellent leftovers.