The Absolute Best Zucchini Recipes

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Ranked #13 in Food, #139 overall

For the Zucchini Lover in all of Us

The absolute best zucchini recipes, zucchini holidays, zucchini videos, you name it and if it's about zucchini you'll find it here! 

Zucchini is a nutritious and versatile vegetable that often gets overlooked.  It's light taste goes well in soups and stews.  It's great fried and what would ratatouille be without it? 

Zucchini is effortless to grow and it grows so fast after it's sown you'll be overrun in no time.  You'll be thankful that there are so many ways to serve it and a holiday for sharing some with your neighbors! 

Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin A, Thiamin, Niacin, Phosphorous and copper. It provides needed fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium, and other good stuff. The bad part is that it also contains natural sugar. (That's what makes it taste so good.)



Photo by Leeks'N'Bounds

Zucchini Linguine Recipe 

Zucchini Linguine Recipe
(Try saying that 3 times fast!)

Ingredients:

1 One pound package Linguine
2 medium sized Zucchini, sliced thin
4 medium sized fresh Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 medium sized Onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Parsley, chopped
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan to season

Directions:

Cook Linguine by following the directions on the package.

Heat Olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.

Add garlic and cook until slightly brown. (approximately 15 seconds)

Add Zucchini and Onion Stir-Fry until tender-crisp. (Approximately 5 minutes)

Add Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil, Oregano and salt and pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Toss the Linguine with the Zucchini mixture in a large bowl, gently.

Top with grated Parmesan.
Serves 6 to 8.

Zucchini Linguine is delicious when served for dinner with Toasted Garlic Bread. Mangia!

Photo by Ned Raggett

Zucchini Nutrition 

First and Foremost

Zucchini is high in nutrition and low in calories. Check this chart to see for yourself then go ahead, prepare and enjoy the many zucchini recipes sprinkled throughout this page. It's good for you!

Zucchini (raw, chopped with skin), 1 cup
Calories: 17
Protein: 1.4g
Carbohydrate: 3.6g
Total Fat: 0.17g
Fiber: 1.5g
Good source of: Vitamin C

Cute zucchini duck photo by Alex Gee

Zucchini Pie Recipe 

Zucchini Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Margarine
4 Cups thin-sliced Zucchini
½ cup chopped Onions
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Eggs beaten
2 cups Mozzarella cheese grated
1 can refrigerated Crescent rolls (I use Pillsbury brand)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F

Melt margarine in 12 inch skillet over medium heat.

Add Zucchini and onions, cook until tender.

Add parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano to zucchini mixture, stir.

In a large bowl combine beaten eggs and grated Mozzarella cheese, mix well. Add the Zucchini mixture to bowl and stir gently.

Separate Crescent roll dough and place into an ungreased pie pan, to form a crust. Press the perforations together to prevent the zucchini mixture from escaping.

Pour Zucchini mixture evenly into the crust-lined pan.

Bake for about 20 minutes (until knife inserted in center comes out clean)

Makes 8 servings

Zucchini Pie is wonderful when served for brunch, lunch or as a light dinner. Enjoy!

Photo by Ned Raggett

Zucchini Cookbooks 

Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen

Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential Reference: 500 Recipes, 275 Photographs

Amazon Price: $47.45 (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

Pickles and Relishes: From Apples to Zucchinis, 150 recipes for preserving the harvest

Amazon Price: $8.76 (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce

Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

The Classic Zucchini Cookbook: 225 Recipes for All Kinds of Squash

Amazon Price: $16.61 (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

Grilled Fresh Zucchini Recipes 

Grilled Fresh Zucchini Recipes

Healthy recipes don't have to be boring or bland. By using Olive oil and a bit of heart-happy garlic you can create delectable, good-for-you dishes that will have your family and friends asking for more.

Balsamic Zucchini Recipe

A summertime crowd pleaser for sure, this recipe turns out just a well whether you choose to grill it over gas, or charcoal. Prepare this one a day in advance for even better flavor!

Ingredients:

3 or 4 fresh zucchini (depending on size)
1/4 cup Olive oil
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking Spray

Directions:

Wash and cut, un-peeled, zucchini into ½ inch slices.

Combine remaining ingredients into a bowl, or pan, large enough to hold all zucchini slices.

Add zucchini and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours. (Up to 24 )

Spray grill with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Preheat grill for approximately 5 minutes.

Grill zucchini 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until desired golden-brown color is obtained.

Lemon-Garlic Zucchini Sticks Recipe

Pop these on the grill alongside of your favorite meat, fish or poultry for a quick, easy summer side dish that's sure to become a family favorite.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 fresh zucchini, (depending on size) halved, peeled and then sliced lengthwise
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced fine
1/4 cup Olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine minced garlic, Olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a bowl.

Add Zucchini sticks and toss to coat.

Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

Preheat grill for approximately 5 minutes.

Grill zucchini sticks for 3 to 5 minutes, per side, or until desired golden-brown color is obtained.

Note:
When the sun is done and old man winter rears his ugly head, you can broil these recipes in your oven or better yet, use an indoor grill like the Lodge Logic Pro combination grill/griddle pan.

Photo by Ned Raggett

Fried Zucchini Recipe 

Fried Zucchini Sticks Recipe
aka Fried Baseball Bats Recipe

This recipe is perfect for when you find one of those HUGE zucchinis in your garden, the one that somehow got overlooked while harvesting and turned into a giant zucchini baseball bat! Of course you can also use it for your everyday normal sized zucchinis.

Ingredients:

Extra-large zucchini, peeled, and sliced like French fries, eliminating the seeds.
1 Egg
1/4 cup milk
Approximately 1 cup bread crumbs (depends on how well your zucchini hid)
1/4 cup flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt to taste

Directions:

Beat egg with milk in bowl.

Mix bread crumbs with flour in another bowl.

Dip your zucchini sticks into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture until well coated.

Fry in vegetable oil in a large skillet until lightly browned.

Remove from skillet and drain on a bed of paper towels.

Season with salt and serve warm.

Zucchini sticks are so delicious the kids won't even know that they're eating vegetables!

Photo by GrabaDonut

Must Have Zucchini Corer 

Professional Quality Tool for easily removing seeds from your zucchini.

World Cuisine Zucchini Corer [World Cuisine]

SPECS: L 4 3/8" - Description: Zucchini Corer, blade length 4 3/8 in. overall length 8.5 in.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

Ratatouille Recipe 

Ratatouille Recipe

Ratatouille is a classic Mediterranean vegetable dish made with succulent eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper and mushrooms.

Ratatouille is also the name of a new movie released by Pixar featuring the voices of Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano and Janeane Garofalo, about a rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a chef. Cute stuff!

I thought I'd share my recipe for ratatouille for those of you who'd like to try it or serve it in honor of viewing the movie. Hey, it could be a sneaky way to get your kids to eat more vegetables!

Ingredients:

½ cup olive oil (measured and used in separate portions)
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Zucchini sliced (skin on)
1 eggplant, peeled and diced
2 large tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms sliced
2 Tablespoons parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of Olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.

Add onion and garlic. Sauté until soft and golden.

In a large fry pan, heat another 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the zucchini until lightly browned. (both sides)

Remove the zucchini and place in the pot with the onions and garlic.

Sauté all the remaining vegetables, except the tomatoes, one batch at a time, adding 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the fry pan each time you add a new set of vegetables.

Once each batch has been sautéed add them to the pot with the onions, garlic, and zucchini.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cover the pot.

Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the large pot, cook another 10-15 minutes. Stir as needed.

Serve warm and enjoy!

To make this more of a meal, serve your ratatouille over pasta!

Photo by Sabotrax

Zucchini Recipes 

Best of the Web

Zucchini Pizza, Zucchini Bread, Zucchini chowder and more!
Pizza: Zucchini Pizza by Recipe Cottage
Casserole recipes including chicken casseroles, bean casseroles, enchilada casseroles, tuna potator, and ground beef recipes.
Zucchini Bread Recipes
Zucchini Bread Recipes
AllRecipes.com
Picnic Zucchini Bean Salad Recipe
Picnic Zucchini Bean Salad
Potato and Zucchini Casserole Recipe - Patates me Kolokythakia sto Fourno - Greek Food
Potatoes, zucchini, red and green peppers, and melted feta cheese on top: a delightful light main dish or side.
Vegan Zucchini Bread Recipe - Vegan Breakfast Recipe - Vegetarian Breakfast Recipe - Vegan Zucchini Bread
Vegan Zucchini Bread Recipe
Zucchini Chowder Recipe
Zucchini Chowder Recipe
Zucchini-Beef Casserole Recipe -- Beliefnet.com
Zucchini-Beef Casserole Recipe
Zucchini Lasagna
Zucchini Lasagna recipe from Martha Stewart on marthastewart.com.

Quick Guide to Growing Zucchini 

A Quick Guide to Growing Zucchini

Growing great zucchini is easy. Once it gets established in your garden the stuff grows like a weed. Most gardeners end up with too much zucchini for their own good and have to share it with the neighborhood.

The most important thing to remember about growing zucchini is that it should be picked young, when it is no more than 2 inches in diameter. It just tastes better that way and contains fewer, smaller seeds. Picking it young will also encourage the plant to produce more zucchini.

I do have a warning for you though. Zucchini loves to play hide and seek, and it usually wins. No matter how closely I examine my zucchini plants there is always one zucchini that is growing unwatched and unpicked until it is the size of a Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Never fails! I don't know how they do it. Keep in mind that even at this immense size they are tasty and edible, if you remove the skin and seeds. Try using the big ones for fried zucchini sticks.

I always start my zucchini from seeds. Follow the directions on the package and be sure to give the plants lots of space because their leaves get huge.

Zucchini and all the other squashes in the squash family love full sun and well-drained, nutrition rich soil. Be sure to keep your zucchini plants well watered, especially during the hot, dry days of summer and never plant them in the same spot the following year or they may get diseased.

Harvest your zucchini by twisting it off of the vine carefully so as not to injure the plant. You may also harvest it by cutting the fruit off with a sharp knife.

The beautiful orange flowers of the zucchini plant are also edible and quite delicious when breaded and deep-fried, or used to perk up a boring salad.

Photo by Leeks'N'Bounds


Gardeners Choice

Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day 

August 8th is a fun food holiday that you might not be aware of, Sneak Some Zuchinni onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day.

Due to the overzealous reproductive nature of the zucchini plant, and the sometimes overzealous nature of the zucchini gardener, on Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day, zucchini growers everywhere are expected to drop off baskets of zucchini onto their neighbors' doorsteps.

When dropping off the zucchini remember, get rid of as much as possible. He who sneaks the most zucchini onto his neighbors porch, wins!

Keep in mind that the key word to this holiday is sneak. Don't get caught or next year you may find yourself the victim of this insanely entertaining holiday.

Beautiful Zucchini Artwork 

For the True Zucchini Lover



Add some zucchini to your home decor with these beautiful posters and art prints.

Courgette (Zucchini) Poster Print

Last Name: Vilmorin. Paper Width: 0. 00. Paper Height: 0. 00. Subject: Cuisine:Fruits/Vegetables. Style or Genre: Decorative. Decor: Traditional. Primary Color: Yellow. Secondary Color: Dark Green.

Amazon Price: $12.91 (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

Squash Cuisine Art Poster Print by Mark Miller, 24x36

Print Title: Squash
Artist: Mark Miller
Just one of over 3,000 prints from Soups to Nuts in our Cuisine gallery. Get one today.
Size: 24 x 36 inches

Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

Salad Bar, Art Poster by Greg Brown, size 28" x 24"

Amazon Price: $27.75 (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

Art Poster Print - Squash: Black Zucchini - Artist: unknown- Poster Size: 28 X 19

Squash: Black Zucchini 28 X 19 inches. High Quality Art Work. This Squash: Black Zucchini is made with High Quality Poster paper and is made for years of enjoyment

Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

Gourmet Zucchini Tasty Treats 

Tasty gourmet zucchini treats to tempt your taste buds.

La Piana Zucchini Risotto , 8.8 Oz

Authentic Italian Risotto; Made in the Veneto region of Northern Italy
Made with carefully selected Carnaroli rice and the finest vegetables
Exceptional Risotto with creamy texture and bursting vegetable flavor
Pairs well with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Use as a main dish or as a side dish for chicken, fish or braised meat
Cooking time: 15-16 minutes; Serves 6

Amazon Price: $6.26 (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

Scott's Cakes Zucchini Bread 3 Loaf Box

Baked Fresh
Boxed for safe shipping
Made with quality ingredents
Hand made and baked to perfection
You can enclose a gift message

Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009) Buy Now

My Favorite Zuccini Video 

Mr. Zucchinihead from Family Guy

Mr. Zucchini Head 1 point

Thanks for Visiting my Zucchini Lens! 

Cabaret Squidoo

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Lensmaster

jayne wrote

Love your website. First year growing zucchini. What fun!!! Everyday there is a Zucchini, we joking call this gifts from the Zucchini god.My kids love looking for the fruit.

Reply Posted July 01, 2009

charlino wrote...

Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. I love it raw with a little salt. It is one of those vegies that can be prepared a thousand ways and still taste good.

ReplyPosted June 24, 2009

Lensmaster

Aprilq wrote

Too Funny! I never would have believed you about zucchinis hiding and growing into Louisville Sluggers, except I just picked my third one of the season! I'm stoked because last year I didn't get a single fruit. This year, at least 20 and still going strong! Long Live Zucchini!!

Reply Posted June 10, 2009

poutine wrote...

I wish someone would leave me some zucchinis sometimes,
but not everyday.

ReplyPosted November 23, 2008

juliasofia44 wrote...

Good recipes lens.

ReplyPosted September 22, 2008

 
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