5 Great Zucchini Recipes for This Summer

Phoebe Lapine
Phoebe Lapine

There's one vegetable - excuse us, fruit - that always seems to win the popularity contest during summer. Mild-tasting and approachable, zucchini is often a top pick when scanning the stands at a local farmers' market, and people feel the need to stockpile it every time they leave the house and head to the store.

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Despite how it tastes, though, and how easy it is to use it, there always seems to be a surplus of zucchini lying around come August. Oftentimes we get so excited about seasonal zucchini come summer, that we buy a little more than we know what to do with, and are forced to let perfectly delicious and ripe zucchini rot and be thrown away.

While running out of uses for zucchini can happen, it doesn't mean we like zucchini any less. The zucchini's popularity spans the globe internationally, as it's a staple of France's classic dish, ratatouille, and a favorite of the Italians in their stuffed zucchini blossoms. It's also a great source of nutrition, as it's loaded with folate, potassium, and vitamin A. The best part about zucchini, though, is that it's versatile, and whether steamed, grilled, sautéed, or mashed, it'll always taste great with what you're serving that night.

Sometimes, all it takes is a little inspiration to put that zucchini to good use, and we're here to provide it with 5 easy and unique zucchini recipes for you to put your bounty to good use. These recipes prove that a zucchini's uses go far beyond the bread and pasta, and it can be added to just about any meal you're craving. Easy skillet lasagna made with arugula and fontina is great to make at the start of the week to keep on hand whenever you're in need of a meal, and fish recipes, like a cornmeal-crusted catfish and halibut with tahini sauce, demonstrate that zucchini are far from boring. It's time to stop regretting those overzealous purchases of zucchini and make them well worth it - just take a look at these recipes and get started.

Zucchini-Shallot Frittata Recipe

You can easily triple this recipe and serve it to company. Use a cast-iron pan and instead of flipping the frittata stovetop, finish it in a hot oven and then invert onto a plate to serve.

Click here to see the Zucchini-Shallot Frittata Recipe

Zucchini-Scallion Cakes Recipe

Great for an appetizer, snack, or even a main course, these savory cakes come together in a snap, and are easy to make as they are delicious to eat.

Click here to see the Zucchini-Scallion Cakes Recipe


Zucchini Lasagna with Greens and Fontina Recipe

What makes this lasagna healthier than most is the lack of meat, béchamel, and the more conservative use of cheese. The recipe only uses a pound and change, which doesn't amount to a crazy portion if you can manage to not inhale the whole pan (which might provide to be difficult). It's called skillet lasagna because it's made in a large cast-iron pan instead of the usual casserole dish. You can easily use whatever pan you like, and you can also substitute baby spinach for the arugula.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium zucchini, finely diced
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
Sea salt, to taste
5 ounces baby arugula
2 cups basil leaves
2 cups marinara sauce
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/4 pound fontina, coarsely grated
1/4 pound fresh ricotta
1/2 pound mozzarella, diced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over a high flame. Sauté the zucchini and shallot until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the arugula and basil and continue to sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season well with salt and papper. Set aside.

Ladle ½ cup of the sauce into the bottom of the skillet and smooth to form an even layer. Arrange 4 noodles on top of the sauce - you might have to break the side noodles to fit, depending on the size of your skillet. Spoon half the filling on top of the noodles and spread to form an even layer. Sprinkle half the fontina on top of the vegetables, followed by half the ricotta. Repeat with another ½ cup sauce, noodles, the rest of the filling, fontina, and ricotta. Top with the remaining noodles and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the top with the mozzarella.

Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour, until the noodles are cooked through and the cheese is very melted.

Serve immediately alongside a simple salad.

Recipe Details


This recipe is courtesy of Phoebe Lapine of Feed Me Phoebe. Visit her website for more delicious recipes and cooking ideas.

Servings: 6
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Cuisine: Italian
Special Designations: Low-fat, Vegetarian, Healthy

Lentil and Zucchini Burgers Recipe

Burgers don't always have to be about meat, and this recipe from Feed Me Phoebe proves that zucchini, lentils, and a few spices can make a delicious - and vegetarian - burger.

Click here to see the Lentil and Zucchini Burgers Recipe


Southern-Style Catfish with Tomato-Zucchini Rice Recipe

Catfish is making a comeback, and as Feed Me Phoebe demonstrates with this recipe, it doesn't get any better than when it's dusted in cornmeal and served alongside a savory rice made with two of summer's most valuable players, tomatoes and zucchini.

Click here to see Southern-Style Catfish with Tomato-Zucchini Rice Recipe

-Anne Dolce, The Daily Meal

Click here to see more great zucchini recipes to make this summer!