This layered zucchini dish is what I make when I want a quick way to use up my zucchini. The flaours are reminiscent of kousa mahshi but its way faster to make. Perfectly roasted (or air fried) zucchini is layered with a seven spiced ground beef, a garlicky tomato sauce, and a cooling mint yogurt sauce. Then it’s topped with roasted pine nuts and ready to be scooped up with bread. It’s quite addictive! Let’s run through the process.

A platter of roasted zucchini slices topped with ground meat, tomato sauce, pine nuts, and a drizzle of white yogurt sauce, set on a peach-colored tiled surface.

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This dish was born out of my love for kousa mahshi and my love for simplifying flavours I grew up with. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of “deconstructing” of dishes – like my yogurt soup with pasta and meatballs (which is my shish barak shortcut), or my Turkish pasta (which is my Turkish manti shortcut).

This dish is like those dishes: the effort is quite low, but the pay off is quite high! The flavours of this dish instantly take me to kousa mahshi, and I couldn’t stop scooping it up with pita bread.

How To Make It & Adjust It!

My dad used to actually make us a similar dish growing up that featured frying of the zucchini, and then layering it with just the yogurt sauce. So if you wanted to make a vegetarian version of this, just skip the beef and it’ll be lovely!

Let’s run through the order in which I like to make it. And by the way – this can be served at room temp or slightly warm.

Cooked ground beef scattered in a nonstick frying pan, with a honeycomb-textured surface visible underneath the browned meat.
First, cook the beef with the spices until browned and caramelized. Set aside.
Pine nuts toasting in olive oil in a white skillet with a gold handle, some nuts turning golden brown.
You can use the same pan as the beef to toast the pine nuts and set aside.
Sliced zucchini rounds are spread out on a wooden cutting board.
Chop the zucchini into roughly 1/4 inch rounds. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil.
Sliced zucchini rounds, lightly browned, are arranged in a single layer inside an air fryer basket on a white countertop.
Air fry or roast the zucchini until soft and slightly golden.
A pot of thick red barbecue sauce with a silver spoon resting inside, placed on a white countertop.
In a small saucepan, make the garlicky tomato sauce.
A bowl with blue patterns filled with creamy white sauce or dressing, with visible herbs, and a small metal whisk resting inside the bowl.
Whisk all the yogurt sauce ingredients.

Now to assemble: place the zucchini in an even layer on a large platter, then top with the ground beef. Spoon the tomato sauce evenly on top, then drizzle the yogurt sauce. Finally: the toasted pine nuts (or use slivered almonds).

A plate of roasted zucchini rounds topped with ground meat, tomato sauce, yogurt sauce, toasted pine nuts, and herbs on a light green dish.

More Deconstructed Classics:

A platter of bowtie pasta topped with seasoned ground meat, creamy white sauce, slivered almonds, herbs, and spices, with small bowls of salt and dried herbs on the side.

Addictive Turkish Pasta (With Ground Beef)
5 from 6 ratings
Beige speckled bowl with a creamy off white liquid, small brown meatballs covered in the off white liquid, spiral shaped white pasta and golden toasted pine nuts on top with a metal spoon in the bowl on a blue background with a blue tea towel in the corner and a small blue bowl with toasted pine nuts.

Meatball Soup with Yogurt & Pasta (Life Changing)
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A pot of hearty stew with ground meat, chopped vegetables, and tomato sauce, garnished with fresh herbs, sits on a patterned blue and white surface next to lemon wedges and a green cloth.

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Kofta smash taco topped with cucumber and onions with white sauce on a beige plate with a small white bowl with white sauce and a blue bowl with red onions and parsley on a pink background

Kofta Smash Tacos with White Sauce
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If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

A platter of roasted zucchini slices topped with ground meat, tomato sauce, pine nuts, and a drizzle of white yogurt sauce, set on a peach-colored tiled surface.
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Layered Roasted Zucchini with Ground Beef, Tomato & Yogurt Sauce

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
Layered roasted or air fried zucchini, topped with seven spiced ground beef, a garlicky tomato sauce, and a cooling mint yogurt. The final touch is toasted pine nuts for some crunch. It's perfect scooped up with bread!
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Ingredients
  

For the zucchini:

  • 2 green zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch circles
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the ground meat:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 250 g lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon seven spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the tomato sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or more to taste

For the yogurt sauce:

  • 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt
  • 1/2 garlic clove, grated
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons dried mint
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste

To Garnish:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts

Instructions
 

  • Toss the zucchini slices with salt and olive oil. Air fry at 400F for 12 minutes, or spread on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 425F for 20 to 25 minutes.
  • In a skillet, heat the olive oil then brown the ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces. Then season with the seven spice, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust.
  • To make the tomato sauce, cook the garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a small sauce pan for a few seconds, just until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook a few more seconds, stirring. Add the water, salt, and Aleppo pepper. Simmer for a few minutes.
  • For the yogurt sauce, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, dried mint, and salt to combine.
  • In a small skillet, add the olive oil and toast the pine nuts until golden, for about 5 minutes, stirring.
  • To serve: on a large platter, layer the zucchini, then spoon the ground beef evenly on top. Spoon the tomato sauce, and dollop the yogurt sauce. Finally, top with pine nuts and serve with pita bread.

Notes

  • You can air fry or roast the zucchini, or even pan fry it until slightly golden and soft.
  • Adjust the Aleppo pepper in the tomato sauce to your liking; I like it spicy but tend to make it more mild for my kids. You can also sprinkle more on top.
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 327kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 587mg, Potassium: 491mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 396IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 2mg
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