Food and Recipes Kitchen Assistant 33 Fresh Zucchini Recipes to Make with Your Farmers' Market Haul By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Sanchez Fresh zucchini is one of those core summertime staples that we load up on at the farmers' market each week. We love this vegetable for its versatility. Zucchini can be sliced, diced, or spiraled; it can be raw, roasted, or grilled, served warm or cold. It can be prepared as a simple side, baked into a casserole, or act as the star component of a main dish. When cooked well, zucchini develops a wonderful caramelized flavor and golden-brown color while also maintaining a slight crunch. While we incorporate zucchini into our favorite dishes for its flavor alone, the vegetable stands among eggplant and squash as a great substitute for meat or carb-heavy foods. Use zucchini as a low-carb noodle option in your lasagna, or trade out those greasy French fries for zucchini fries. Zucchini will be your new secret ingredient to accommodate dietary restrictions, from gluten-free to vegan. It also takes well to grilling, making this summer vegetable the ideal easy side dish for your barbecue feast. 01 of 33 Reunion Pea Casserole Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Reunion Pea Casserole Sliced zucchini and yellow squash get a cheesy crust to top this veggie-packed casserole. 02 of 33 Baked Zucchini Fries Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Baked Zucchini Fries With these crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside zucchini fries, you'll never miss greasy potato. 03 of 33 Zucchini Lasagna Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna Swap heavy pasta noodles out for healthier latticed zucchini strips. 04 of 33 Zucchini Bread Pancakes Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Zucchini Bread Pancakes Proof zucchini recipes don't have to be all savory. This one takes the delicately sweet flavor of zucchini quick bread, and turns it into pillow-light pancakes. 05 of 33 Chocolate-Zucchini Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chocolate-Zucchini Cake This decadent chocolate cake is packed full of zucchini, making it a sly way to convince your kids to eat their vegetables. 06 of 33 Sautéed Squash and Zucchini Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro Recipe: Sautéed Squash and Zucchini A simple sautée is one of our favorite ways to prepare summertime zucchini. This side dish will be a staple in your dinner rotation. 07 of 33 Fresh Vegetable Lasagna Photo: Jennifer Davick Recipe: Fresh Vegetable Lasagna Trade the ground beef for fresh summer veggies in this vegetarian-friendly lasagna recipe. With mushroom, zucchini, yellow bell pepper, and onion, this dish is as bright and colorful as it is delicious. 08 of 33 Baked Rigatoni with Zucchini and Mozzarella Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Baked Rigatoni with Zucchini and Mozzarella This family-friendly pasta dish can be baked in a casserole dish or a springform pan for a cake-like display. 09 of 33 Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables Alison Miksch Recipe: Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables There's no better weeknight dinner than a nice big pasta bake. 10 of 33 Summer Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette Alison Miksch Recipe: Summer Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette Bright nectarines, sliced zucchini, and acidic lime vinaigrette bring lightness to this fresh take on a summer pasta salad. 11 of 33 Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole Hector Sanchez Recipe: Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole Cheddar and asiago cheeses complement all the fresh summer veggies in this fan-favorite casserole. 12 of 33 Farmers' Market Pasta Salad Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Farmers' Market Pasta Salad Have some extra produce from your farmers' market haul? Toss it in this adaptable, fresh pasta salad! 13 of 33 Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes This square meal features individually-portioned pork, zucchini, yellow squash, and small red potatoes. It's a complete dinner from one sheet tray. 14 of 33 Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole Hector Sanchez Recipe: Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole A creative cheese cracker topping keeps this squash casserole kid-friendly. 15 of 33 Zucchini-Onion Frittata Southern Living Recipe: Zucchini-Onion Frittata This easy frittata will be a stunning addition to your breakfast or brunch spread. Garnish with chopped plum tomatoes for an extra burst of color. 16 of 33 Zucchini-Potato Casserole Iain Bagwell Recipe: Zucchini-Potato Casserole This stunning side pays aesthetic homage to famed French ratatouille, while the use of potato, zucchini, and tomato earns it the status of an American classic. 17 of 33 Squash and Green Chile Casserole Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Squash and Green Chile Casserole Green chiles add a soft, mild spice to this Tex-Mex casserole. Serve as a main dish or a hearty side. 18 of 33 Lemon Pepper-Salmon Kebabs Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Lemon Pepper-Salmon Kebabs Heart-healthy salmon gets a fun summer makeover with this colorful kebab recipe. 19 of 33 Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets with Red Potatoes and Zucchini Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets with Red Potatoes and Zucchini Fire up the grill for this fresh summer supper that requires zero cleanup. 20 of 33 Air-Fryer Zucchini Chips Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Air-Fryer Zucchini Chips If you're looking for healthy snacks that don't come in a bag, grab your Air Fryer—even the kids will love these crispy veggie chips. 21 of 33 Chicken Risotto with Spring Vegetables Jennifer Davick Recipe: Chicken Risotto with Spring Vegetables This fresh risotto is fancy enough for at-home date night. 22 of 33 Grilled Baby Zucchini-and-Tomato Salad Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Grilled Baby Zucchini-and-Tomato Salad This light and bright take on panzanella is a gorgeous side dish to accompany any summer dish. 23 of 33 Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Arugula Pesto Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Arugula Pesto Making homemade pesto is so much easier than you might think, so leave the jar behind. 24 of 33 Grilled Shrimp-and-Squash Pasta with Summer Herbs Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Grilled Shrimp-and-Squash Pasta with Summer Herbs This 30-minute pasta dinner is light, fresh, and pretty enough to invite the neighbors over for an easy summer dinner. 25 of 33 Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna Jennifer Davick Recipe: Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna Meatless Monday has never been so indulgent as this easy lasagna recipe. 26 of 33 Fried Zucchini Straws Hector Sanchez Recipe: Fried Zucchini Straws Instead of a bag of frozen French fries, try this healthier fried side on burger night. 27 of 33 Grilled Vegetables with Chickpeas, Feta, and Couscous Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Grilled Vegetables with Chickpeas, Feta, and Couscous Foil packet dinners are our favorite secret weapon when we're on dish duty. 28 of 33 Squash Ribbon Salad Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett Recipe: Squash Ribbon Salad Using your vegetable peeler, you can make even the simplest salad a beautiful addition to any meal. 29 of 33 Grilled Chicken-and-Veggie Tortellini Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Grilled Chicken-and-Veggie Tortellini Store-bought helpers like refrigerated tortellini and pesto bring this family-friendly dinner together in a snap. 30 of 33 Squash Frittata Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Squash Frittata Serve up a photo-ready weekend brunch with this simple frittata recipe. 31 of 33 Chicken-and-Shrimp Kebabs with Summer Vegetables and Basil Oil Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Chicken-and-Shrimp Kebabs with Summer Vegetables and Basil Oil If you're gearing up for a summer cookout, make the basil vinaigrette a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge. 32 of 33 Baked Pork Tenderloin Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Baked Pork Tenderloin This baked pork tenderloin, served with a simple salad of fresh shaved veggies, can get dressed up for the holidays but is easy enough for a weeknight dinner. 33 of 33 Zucchini-Mint Pasta Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Zucchini-Mint Pasta Tossing vegetables, herbs, and fresh lemon in with thick ribbons of pasta helps lighten the dish for the summertime. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit