For me, zucchini season always looks like this: as soon as I see zucchini at the farmer’s market, I get excited, rushing home to make some of my favorite zucchini recipes. A few weeks later, I’ll have cycled through my regular rotation of zucchini bread, zucchini pizza, zucchini pasta, stuffed zucchini, etc., etc., but I’ll still have tons of zucchini on hand.
This week, I looked at my market haul of summer squash and asked, “What next?”. I’m sharing this round up today in case you, too, are looking for some new zucchini recipes. And if any of you have favorite zucchini recipes to recommend, let me know in the comments!
Zucchini Appetizers
Kick off your next dinner party with a summer squash starter! I like to grill it up with ratatouille veggies and top it onto crostini for summer parties, but it’s just as good layered into sandwiches. Make finger sandwiches for gatherings, or load up big slices of whole grain bread for a yummy summer lunch.
1. Grilled Ratatouille Tartines (pictured above)
Zucchini Soups
Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables to add to soup. I might dice it up with a mix of other veggies, blend it to create a luscious creamy texture, or even spiralize it! That way, I feel like I’m eating a big bowl of noodle soup, but most (or all) of the noodles are actually vegetables!
3. Golden Turmeric Noodle Miso Soup (pictured above)
4. Spiralized Vegetable Noodle Soup
Salads with Zucchini
In my opinion, raw zucchini is underrated. It has a nice soft texture and mild flavor that goes well in all sorts of summer salads. Add zucchini noodles to your next pasta salad, or use julienned zucchini in any simple green salad at this time of year.
7. Broccoli Pasta Salad with Zucchini Noodles (pictured above)
9. Peach Salad with Mint & Pistachios
Zucchini Recipes on the Side
If you have tons of summer squash on hand, a big zucchini side dish is a great way to use it up. Whether you grill it or bake it, a good sauce is essential. In these zucchini recipes, I bake squash with pesto and tomato sauce, and I serve it grilled with tzatziki, Greek salad dressing, Romesco, or lemony yogurt. Simple grilled zucchini & cilantro lime dressing would be great too!
10. Crispy Pesto Baked Zucchini (pictured above)
12. Perfect Grilled Zucchini with Feta & Mint
13. Grilled Veggies with Romesco Sauce
Zucchini Pastas
Roasted, grilled, boiled, or sautéed, zucchini is a perfect partner for pasta. Thin zucchini slices soften and become jammy, folding around the noodles, while bigger pieces retain a nice, juicy bite. Toss your pasta with lots of lemon & fresh herbs for a bright, summery finishing touch.
14. Roasted Vegetable Pasta (pictured above)
17. One-Pot Vegetable Penne Pasta
18. Lemony Summer Squash Orecchiette
Lasagna Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini pairs perfectly with Italian seasonings, so it’s a natural choice for lasagna. Sometimes, I’ll roast it along with loads of summer veggies for a veggie lasagna filling. When my fridge is overflowing with summer squash, though, I go all in on the zucchini. I use zucchini planks in place of some of the lasagna noodles, and I blend more zucchini into a creamy vegan “ricotta” filling to make a lighter version of this classic comfort food.
19. Zucchini Lasagna with Zucchini “Ricotta” (pictured above)
Main Dish Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini season is short, so put it front & center while you can! Like peppers, it’s excellent stuffed, but you could also add it to ratatouille or layer it into a creamy casserole with eggplant & Parmesan cheese. Or go in another direction entirely, and dice it into a fresh salsa to spoon over grilled polenta or your favorite protein!
21. Stuffed Zucchini Boats (pictured above)
22. Roasted Chickpea Ratatouille
23. Grilled Polenta with Zucchini Salsa
24. Eggplant Summer Squash Tian
Taco & Enchilada Zucchini Recipes
With its mild flavor, zucchini soaks up seasonings like cumin, lime, and chiles wonderfully, so it’s a great healthy veggie filling for tacos & enchiladas! When I’m making these kinds of recipes, I especially like to pair zucchini with black beans and lots of tomatillo salsa for bright, zesty flavor!
25. Zucchini Verde Vegan Enchiladas (page 157 of Love & Lemons Every Day, pictured above)
26. Vegetarian Tacos with Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa
27. Black Bean Tacos with Zucchini Avocado Salsa
Zucchini Noodles
I love swapping grains for vegetables by using cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, and of course: the almighty zucchini noodle. Whether you’re looking to eat lighter or just want to try something different, I highly recommend you give them a shot. Top them with a yummy sauce & your favorite protein and enjoy them on their own, or try mixing them with other spiralized veggies like daikon radish or carrot! I’ll also use a 50/50 mix of zucchini noodles & regular noodles to lighten up my favorite pasta dishes.
28. Spiralized “Rice Noodle” Bowl (pictured above)
Pizza Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini is a goldmine pizza ingredient because it’s delicious both roasted and raw. When I make zucchini pizza, I like to use it two ways, baking it on the crust and adding lemony zucchini ribbons on top. If you’ve never ribboned zucchini before, give it a try! It’s not tricky – just use a regular vegetable peeler to slice small squash lengthwise into long, thin strips. They’ll pack your pizza with all sorts of tastes & textures!
31. Herb Garden Zucchini Pizza (pictured above)
32. Summer Squash Vegetable Pizza
Sweet Zucchini Recipes
Of course, I couldn’t compile a list of zucchini recipes without including a section for zucchini bread and cake. Shredded zucchini gives baked goods a rich, moist texture that I can’t get enough of in the summertime. Zucchini bread is my go-to summer breakfast – I like to keep slices in the freezer for a quick morning treat. And if I’m cooking for a special occasion, my chocolate zucchini cake is almost always on the menu.
34. Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Matcha Frosting
35. Best Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Let me know what zucchini recipes you try!
Zucchini Recipes: Grilled Zucchini
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Recipe type: Side dish
- 3 small-medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut in half horizontally
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- Preheat a grill to high heat. Toss the zucchini lightly with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper. Grill cut side-down for 2 minutes, then flip and grill skin-side down for 3 to 4 minutes or until char marks form. Remove from the grill, transfer to a plate, and squeeze with lemon juice.
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