• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Planty Delights
  • Vegan Food
  • Feel Good
  • Eco Living
  • About
  • SUBSCRIBE
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Food
  • Feel Good
  • Eco Living
  • About
  • SUBSCRIBE
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Vegan Food
  • Feel Good
  • Eco Living
  • About
  • SUBSCRIBE
×

Italian ZUCCHINI Tomato Recipe With Polenta (vegan)

Modified: Jun 13, 2025 · Published: Aug 26, 2016

Jump to Recipe


A rainbow of veggies—zucchini, onion, corn, and beans—gets an herby Italian glow-up in a tomato sauce, and lands on a bed of creamy polenta = this Italian-inspired zucchini tomato recipe in a nutshell. It's a weeknight winner! And a family favorite. Also: totally, 100% beginner-friendly.

Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you purchase through those links. You can read my full affiliate disclosure here.

In This Post:
  • Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Tomato Recipe
  • 🍽 Recipe
  • Mory Yummy Zucchini Recipes

This zucchini tomato recipe changed everything ...

This was the very first recipe I ever created. Like, ever-ever.

A few years ago, I wasn’t into cooking. At all. I didn’t enjoy it, didn’t feel good at it, and mostly just avoided it.

But then… this zucchini tomato recipe happened.

Just some zucchini, tomatoes, beans, herbs—nothing fancy. Tossed together, simmered into a saucy tomato mix, and spooned over soft, creamy polenta.

Simple. Fast. Cozy. Somehow it just worked. And more than that: it made me realize, “Wait… I can actually cook something?! And it tastes amazing?!”

Since then, I’ve made it more times than I can count. I’ve tweaked it here and there, played with the veggies, added a little more chili, a little less tomato paste. But it never fails. It’s that kind of dish. If I’d taken a photo every time I made it, I’d have a whole cookbook by now. (Here are two snapshots from two different years!)

Italian zucchini tomato recipe with polenta

Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Tomato Recipe

  • It’s beginner-friendly and done in 20 minutes.
  • You don’t need fancy ingredients—just a few pantry staples and fresh zucchini.
  • It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free.
  • Leftovers? Even better the next day.
  • Comforting and healthy, all in one cozy bowl.

I hope you give it a try. I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed.

Cooking the Italian zucchini tomato recipe with polenta

🍽 Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Italian ZUCCHINI Tomato Recipe With Polenta

This Italian-inspired zucchini tomato recipe is an all-time family favorite. Cozy and bright, hearty but still light, packed with flavor—and totally, 100% beginner-friendly. You’ll mix zucchini, red onion, sweet corn, and kidney beans with a handful of Italian herbs into a tomato sauce, then spoon the veggies over creamy, golden polenta. So easy. So satisfying.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: beginner friendly, easy, gluten-free, vegan, weeknight friendly
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • You'll need a whisk.

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

For the polenta

  • 1 l water
  • 3 scant teaspoons salt
  • 300 g grainy instant polenta

For the veggies

  • 600 g zucchini (about 3 medium zucchini)
  • 200-250 g of sweet corn (1 tin/jar, or use frozen)
  • 200-250 g red kidney beans (1 tin/jar)
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 400 ml tomato passata (or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 small dried red chili peppers (or ½ fresh red chili pepper, seeds removed, flaked)
  • 1 bunch mixed Italian herbs (e.g., basil, thyme, oregano, parsley), chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs)
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  • Start with the vegetables. Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut into bite-size pieces.
  • Drain the corn if using canned.
  • Drain the kidney beans and reserve the brine (great for aquafaba!).
  • Peel and chop the onion, then sauté it in a pan with olive oil until translucent.
  • Add the zucchini and cook for a few minutes on medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the zucchini is soft. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
  • While the pan is cooking away, make the polenta.
    Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Stir in the salt. Slowly pour in the polenta while whisking continuously. Continue whisking until it thickens (about 5 minutes). Once it becomes too thick to stir, cover with a lid and set aside.
  • Spoon the zucchini tomato sauce generously over creamy polenta and enjoy.

I’m always curious. How did it go? Tried this Italian zucchini tomato recipe? I wanna hear all about it. How did you serve it? Any fun twists? Any flops? Drop the details below because we all love a good kitchen win or a lesson learned.

Wishing you planty of delicious zucchini dishes,
Ramona

♥

Mory Yummy Zucchini Recipes

  • 3-Ingredient Roasted ZUCCHINI Soup (vegan)
  • Anja's Farinata - Chickpea Pancakes with 3 Variations (Vegan)
  • Baked Zucchini Sticks with Vegan Parmesan
  • Lemony Cauliflower and Potato Curry With Sumach (vegan)

More Food

  • Savory Garlicky WATERMELON Rind Spread (Yes, Really!)
  • The Best Vegan MAYO Recipe (A Classic)
  • Vegan RHUBARB Cake With Streusel and Pudding
  • Elderflower SYRUP: Bottled Bloom Essence (So Easy!)

Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Popular

  • BUNNY Bags & Baby BOARS (April ‘25 Delights)
  • WIMBLEDON Strawberries and Cream Recipe (vegan)
  • MUSEUM BLAU: The Coolest Hidden Spot in Schwetzingen
  • Thrifted Goods & Garlicky Woods (March '25 Delights)

Latest

  • Go-To MANDARIN Orange Cake Recipe With Streusel (vegan)
  • Delicious LEMON VERBENA: Culinary Uses and Health Benefits
  • 5-Min RUSTIC Chickpea Spread (vegan)
  • ICE Plunges & CINNAMON Slippers (Feb '25 Delights)

Footer

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal Notice
  • Terms of Service

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for the newsletter.

Contact

  • Send me an email

Copyright © 2025 Planty Delights