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30 Fresh Zucchini Recipes

30 Fresh Zucchini Recipes

By Zoe Denenberg

April 23, 2012

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

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 Oven-Baked 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.

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Reunion Pea Casserole

Credit: 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.

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Grilled Chicken with Quick-Pickled Squash Salad

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Quick-Pickled Squash Salad

A quick twenty-minute pickling will leave this squash salad wonderfully bright and with a nice bite.

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Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

With these crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside zucchini fries, you'll never miss greasy potato.

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Zucchini Rice Gratin

Credit: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Zucchini Rice Gratin

This one-pot wonder incorporates lots of fresh seasoning to bring life to oh-so-simple rice and zucchini gratin.

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Grilled Pizza with Summer Veggies and Smoked Chicken

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Recipe: Grilled Pizza with Summer Veggies and Smoked Chicken

In the summer, there's no need to turn on your oven. This pizza is meant for the grill. Sliced into wedges, it's the perfect barbecue appetizer!

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Zucchini Lasagna

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna

Swap heavy pasta noodles out for healthier latticed zucchini strips.

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Chocolate-Zucchini Cake

Credit: 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.

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Sautéed Squash and Zucchini

Credit: Photo: 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.

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Fresh Vegetable Lasagna

Credit: 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.

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Baked Rigatoni with Zucchini and Mozzarella

Credit: Photo: 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.

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Zucchini Noodle Salad

Credit: Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Zucchini Noodle Salad

A spiralizer is one of our favorite fun kitchen gadgets, but if you don't have one on hand, lots of grocery stores will sell pre-spiraled zucchini!

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Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant with Basil Vinaigrette

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant with Basil Vinaigrette

Throwing this zucchini and eggplant right on the grill gives the vegetables a beautiful char, and basil vinaigrette adds herbaceous freshness.

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Halloumi-and-Summer Vegetable Kabobs

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

Recipe: Halloumi-and-Summer Vegetable Kebabs

These grilled cheese-and-veggie kebabs are the perfect barbecue side dish. They'll add some color to your dinner spread!

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Grilled Zucchini with Tomatoes and Mint

Credit: Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Grilled Zucchini with Tomatoes and Mint

With thick ribbons of zucchini, fresh tomatoes, and sprigs of fresh mint, this dish incorpotates all of our favorite summer ingredients.

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Cornbread Panzanella with Squash

Credit: Greg DuPree

Recipe: Cornbread Panzanella with Squash

Leftover cornbread? This unique recipe is the perfect way to repurpose and brighten the Southern classic with fresh summer vegetables.

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Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables

There's no better weeknight dinner than a nice big pasta bake.

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Summer Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Summer Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Bright nectarines, sliced zucchini, and acidic lime vinagrette bring lightness to this fresh take on a summer pasta salad.

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Grilled Ratatouille Skewers

Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele

Recipe: Grilled Ratatouille Skewers

A quick fix for a summer side. These veggie skewers develop a rich, charred flavor on the grill.

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Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole

Cheddar and asiago cheeses complement all the fresh summer veggies in this fan-favorite casserole.

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Chicken and Charred Succotash Salad

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Chicken and Charred Succotash Salad

Zucchini gets a golden-brown sautée in this light, colorful salad. If you don't have access to fresh veggies, feel free to substitute frozen.

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Farmers' Market Pasta Salad

Credit: 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!

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Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes

Credit: 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.

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Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Drumsticks with Squash

Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Drumsticks with Squash

These chicken drumsticks are loaded with layers of flavor, complemented well with simple roasted zucchini and squash.

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Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole

A creative cheese cracker topping keeps this squash casserole kid-friendly.

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Zucchini-Onion Frittata

Credit: 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.

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Corn-and-Zucchini Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

Credit: Con Poulos

Recipe: Corn-and-Zucchini Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

In the summertime, there's nothing better than grilled corn. This recipe gleans inspiration from the popular Mexican street-corn dish elote, adding goat cheese, orzo, and grilled zucchini to ramp up the fresh flavors.

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Zucchini-Potato Casserole

Credit: 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.

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Squash and Green Chile Casserole

Credit: Greg Dupree

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.

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Squash Tart

Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele

Recipe: Squash Tart

Elegant ribbons of raw zucchini are the star of this flaky, golden-brown summer tart. While you can lightly roast or grill the zucchini, leaving the vegetable raw maintains a nice bite of texture.

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Zucchini-Mint Pasta

Credit: Photo: 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.

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By Zoe Denenberg

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30 Fresh Zucchini Recipes

1 of 30

Reunion Pea Casserole

1 of 30

2 of 30

Grilled Chicken with Quick-Pickled Squash Salad

2 of 30

3 of 30

Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

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Zucchini Rice Gratin

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Grilled Pizza with Summer Veggies and Smoked Chicken

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Zucchini Lasagna

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Chocolate-Zucchini Cake

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Sautéed Squash and Zucchini

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Fresh Vegetable Lasagna

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Baked Rigatoni with Zucchini and Mozzarella

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11 of 30

Zucchini Noodle Salad

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Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant with Basil Vinaigrette

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Halloumi-and-Summer Vegetable Kabobs

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Grilled Zucchini with Tomatoes and Mint

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Cornbread Panzanella with Squash

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Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables

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Summer Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

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Grilled Ratatouille Skewers

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Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole

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Chicken and Charred Succotash Salad

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Farmers' Market Pasta Salad

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Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes

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Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Drumsticks with Squash

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Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole

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Zucchini-Onion Frittata

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Corn-and-Zucchini Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese