Excellent Recipes for Using Zucchini

1 of 46 Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Claire Spollen

Zucchini-Ricotta Pizza

Zucchini-Ricotta Pizza Recipe
Keep it easy: Roll the dough out on parchment paper, and place the paper right on the hot pizza stone.

Tuscan Pignoli-Zucchini-Orange Bread image

2 of 46 Photo: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Deb Wise; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Tuscan Pignoli-Orange Zucchini Bread

Tuscan Pignoli-Orange Zucchini Bread Recipe
Got a boatload of zucchini? A loaf of so-simple quick bread is a delightful, kid-friendly way to put it to use. With bright citrusy notes, toasty pine nuts, and a delightful texture delivered by the blend of semolina and almond flours, this Italian-inspired uptake on your typical zucchini bread is sure to impress.

3 of 46 Time Inc. Video Stuio

Zucchini Pickles

Zucchini Pickles Recipe
Put your bounty of summer squash to good use with these perfectly tangy-sweet zucchini pickles. They’re an excellent addition to any summer cookout spread.

4 of 46 Photo: Christopher Testani; Styling: Thom Driver

Charred Zucchini Salad

Charred Zucchini Salad Recipe
Erik Anderson uses lardo for part of the fat in the dressing. It's seasoned and cured pork fat somewhat similar to bacon. Find it at specialty markets or at almagourmet.com. Or substitute an equal amount of rendered bacon fat (16 ounces chopped bacon will yield the 3.5 ounces needed for this recipe). Anderson also uses sweet and sour teardrop chiles, which are a cross between a jalapeño and a cherry pepper. If you can't find them, substitute mild pickled peppadews. This salad is easily doubled. To do so, use 2 large skillets to simultaneously cook zucchini batches so the dish is done in the same amount of time.

5 of 46 Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Ivy Odom; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Zucchini-Squash Pickle Relish

Zucchini-Squash Pickle Relish Recipe
Put all that zucchini to good use in this deliciously tangy-sweet pickled relish. It’s a delicious accouterment for any number of meat and veggie dishes, but we especially love it spooned right over a grilled hotdog.

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Carrot and Zucchini Spaghetti

Carrot and Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe
There's no need to cut out all pasta when dining on zoodles. This recipe combines spiralized zucchini and carrots with spaghetti for a perfect pasta dinner.

7 of 46 Photo: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Deb Wise; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Sesame-Cashew Zucchini Bread

Sesame-Cashew Zucchini Bread Recipe
A loaf of so-simple quick bread is a delightful, kid-friendly way to put it to use. Incredibly rich in toasty flavor, this nutty twist on classic zucchini bread was a fast favorite in the test kitchen. If you don’t have cashew butter on hand, feel free to use peanut butter or almond butter for the creamy glaze instead—either would be equally delicious.

8 of 46 Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Chicken Parmesan over Zucchini Noodles

Chicken Parmesan over Zucchini Noodles Recipe
A julienne peeler creates lovely "zoodles," but may we suggest a spiralizer? It works like a pencil sharpener, turning veggies into noodles (look for them at kitchen stores and amazon.com).

9 of 46 Photography: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Zucchini Pie

Zucchini Pie Recipe
In this riff on spaghetti pie, zucchini "noodles" stand in for pasta.

10 of 46 Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Claire Spollen

Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Tomato Salad

Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Tomato Salad Recipe
The microwave quickly steams the zucchini so that you only need to run the stuffed boats under the broiler for a minute or two at the end.

11 of 46 Photographer: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Squash and Green Chile Casserole

Squash and Green Chile Casserole Recipe
Filled with fresh zucchini and squash, this casserole doesn't require the oven.

12 of 46 Sara Tane

Muffuletta Zucchini and Carrot Noodle Salad

Muffuletta Zucchini and Carrot Noodle Salad Recipe
A veg-forward take on a muffuletta pasta salad, this ultra-flavorful side dish is just as refreshing as it is filling. Hearty cubes of meat and cheese against the brininess of olives create a balanced, sandwich-inspired satisfaction. It can be served immediately, or left in the fridge for a couple hours or up to a couple of days to let the flavors meld further.

13 of 46 Photo: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Herb-Grilled Summer Squash

Herb-Grilled Summer Squash Recipe
Grilled vegetables are as essential a part of the outdoor, open-flame cooking experience as any cut of meat. And few vegetables say summer quite like zucchini and yellow summer squash. Dressed in olive oil and an abundance of fresh herbs, this versatile grilled vegetable recipe is perfect for just about any occasion.

14 of 46 Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Cornbread-Stuffed Zucchini

Cornbread-Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
Choose squash that are uniform in shape so they will cook evenly. The best kind for this recipe are long, straight, and not too skinny.

15 of 46 Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling Karen Ranken; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Zoodles with Shrimp and Green Goddess Dressing

Zoodles with Shrimp and Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
Using a blend of spiralized summer squash and zucchini “noodles,” this light and bright summer entree is as refreshing as they come. We absolutely love the fresh flavors this simple green goddess dressing packs into the dish; any leftover dressing would be great for dipping veggies into for an easy snack. Taking advantage of already steamed shrimp from the seafood counter of your favorite grocery store keeps this vibrant dish entirely no-cook and incredibly speedy. And to save a few extra minutes, you can grab containers of pre-spiralized vegetables from the produce section. In order to prevent sogginess, wait until it’s time to eat before assembling the components of your zoodle bowl.

16 of 46 Photo: Daniel Agee; Prop Styling Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton

Creamy Sausage and Zoodle Bake

Creamy Sausage and Zoodle Bake Recipe
It may be rich, it may be cheesy, but this vibrant twist on a traditional pasta casserole is also packed with veggies. Beyond swapping out pasta for zucchini noodles—which, no worries, do hold up well in this creamy bake—the casserole boasts roasted butternut squash, savory mushrooms, and caramelized onions. The veggie blend in this dish is a great balance to spicy Italian sausage and the luscious béchamel sauce, which we infuse with robust fall flavor by first steeping garlic and herbs in the milk later used for to make the sauce. Although this recipe isn’t an ideal choice for a last-minute throw-together meal, it is an excellent make-ahead option. Every component of the dish can be prepped ahead of time for a quick and easy assembly, making this veggie-centric casserole a delicious and impressive go-to for entertaining.

17 of 46 Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Grilled Zucchini with Lemon-Garlic Breadcrumbs

Grilled Zucchini with Lemon-Garlic Breadcrumbs Recipe
If you haven't made your own breadcrumbs yet, now is the time to give it a try. It's easy, makes use of any leftover bread, and tastes better than anything you can buy. Here, we have four different zucchini topping variations (from the top left, working clockwise): Grilled Zucchini with Lemon-Garlic Breadcrumbs, Grilled Zucchini with Herbed Butter, Grilled Zucchini with Chopped Tomato-Basil Salsa, and Sweet and Sour Zucchini.

18 of 46 Photo: Dylan + Jeni; Styling: Scott Horne

Carrot-Zucchini Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot-Zucchini Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Zucchini makes a brilliant addition to carrot cake, adding a verdant note to the sweet carrot.

19 of 46 Photo: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Summer Garden Chili Bowls

Summer Garden Chili Bowls Recipe
While the summer heat often makes us go for lighter foods, that doesn’t mean we don’t still want chili—so we made a lighter, brighter version. Equally perfect for a casual summer supper at home as it is for fueling a cookout or tailgate, these chili bowls are loaded up with vibrant veggies. To keep this tasty entree quick and simple, we use canned chili as a base, then dress it up with grilled corn and zucchini, black beans, fresh avocado slices, cilantro, queso fresco, and a handful of corn chips for good measure. Serve with lime wedges and you have a summer hit on your hands. While this recipes is especially convenient for when you want a tasty bowl chili, but don’t necessarily want to eat off of a huge batch of it for days, the recipe is easily multiplied to accommodate larger crowds.

20 of 46 Time Inc. Video Studio

Fried Mozzarella-Stuffed Zucchini

Fried Mozzarella-Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
This mozzarella stick-meets-zucchini fries hybrid is an awesome way to change up your appetizer game; not to mention, it’s a great recipe for getting picky eaters to munch on some vegetables. And if you’re finding yourself a little worn out on summer’s abundance of zucchini, stuffing the veggie with cheese and then deep-frying gives it an incredibly tasty transformation.

21 of 46 Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Chicken Kofte with Zucchini

Chicken Kofte with Zucchini Recipe
A hit under the broiler leaves zucchini perfectly tender.

22 of 46 Photo: Stephen Devries; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Zucchini and Red Pepper Frittata

Zucchini and Red Pepper Frittata Recipe
This recipe also uses another ingredient many gardeners have in abundance: zucchini.

23 of 46 Photo: Eva Kolenko; Styling: Karen Shinto

Zucchini Burgers

Zucchini Burgers Recipe
We've given the veggie burger a serious upgrade, with browned mushrooms, nuts, and spices in the shredded zucchini patties, and raw zucchini ribbons on top for freshness.

24 of 46 Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Zucchini Stuffed with Lady Peas

Zucchini Stuffed with Lady Peas Recipe
Stuff zucchini shells with Lady Peas, onion, mushrooms, and tomato and top with bread crumbs and cheese for a colorful appetizer.

25 of 46 Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Zucchini Pesto with Crudites

Zucchini Pesto with Crudites Recipe
The cooked zucchini is delicious on its own (try it as a spread) and even better blended with almonds, fresh herbs, and cheese. Garnish with a little extra cheese, if desired.

26 of 46 Photography: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Zucchini-Ribbon Pizza with Chicken

Zucchini-Ribbon Pizza with Chicken Recipe
If we could make a crisp, fresh salad a mandatory pizza topper, we would. Use a vegetable peeler to ribbon zucchini. Ground coriander adds lemony flavor.

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Tortellini Salad with Zucchini and Peas

Tortellini Salad with Zucchini and Peas Recipe
'Tis the season for zucchini. Make the most of it in this light and summery salad where it's just barely wilted.

28 of 46 Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower

Zucchini and Spinach Chilaquiles

Zucchini and Spinach Chilaquiles Recipe
This verde version of a Mexican brunch classic is the perfect introduction to summer. If you have time, try switching out canned tomatillos for fresh: Remove the papery husks from 8 ounces fresh tomatillos, toss with 1 tablespoon oil on a baking sheet, and broil 6 minutes or until lightly charred. Cool before processing. Queso fresco has the texture of strained ricotta—it won’t quite melt under the broiler, but its mild flavor will be a welcome contrast to the heat in the tomatillo mixture. Add scrambled eggs to each serving for a little extra protein.

29 of 46 Linda Pugliese

Zucchini Rice Gratin

Zucchini Rice Gratin Recipe
Inspired by Julia Child's classic recipe for Tian de Courgettes au Riz (zucchini gratin), my version is comforting yet fresh and clean--it's not overloaded with heavy cream or cheese.

30 of 46 Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Adam Dolge

Zucchini Fried Rice

Zucchini Fried Rice Recipe
This single skillet dinner is a weeknight-friendly meal the whole family can get behind, not to mention—it’s a genius way to put a bulk of summer zucchini to good use. The grated zucchini helps to lighten and brighten this take-out favorite, and stealthily bulks up the nutritional value of pickier eaters’ plates. Plus, this budget-friendly dish is actually best made using day-old rice, so it’s a great meal to plan on for utilizing leftovers later in the week. You can definitely use whatever you have on hand, but smaller-sized zucchini tend to work best in this recipe, as you want to minimize the number of seeds. Feel free to eliminate the pork or replace it with tofu to make this meal vegetarian.

31 of 46 Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Basil, Squash, and Tomato Pasta Toss

Basil, Squash, and Tomato Pasta Toss Recipe
Grated zucchini will cook as the pasta is tossed. If you don't have a grater, cut the zucchini like the yellow squash, and sauté both.

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Zucchini and Shrimp Cakes with Snap Pea Relish

Zucchini and Shrimp Cakes with Snap Pea Relish Recipe
Just a little shrimp goes a long way in these spring-inspired cakes. If using frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw completely before peeling and chopping; otherwise the shrimp will fall apart. You can use fresh basil instead of tarragon.

33 of 46 Caitlin Bensel

Zucchini Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Zucchini Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe
Precut produce helps this staff favorite come together in a flash. Spiralized zucchini and summer squash are in the prepared produce section of many supermarkets; you can also spiralize your own or make ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Squash takes the place of noodles in these bowls, so you'll need a hefty amount for each serving. The zucchini noodles don't require cooking—they'll add freshness and crunch to the finished dish. Make the sauce while the tofu cooks and have the other vegetables at the ready so you can toss and serve immediately.

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Coco-Zucchini Bread

Coco-Zucchini Bread Recipe
Super-moist and super-easy, this quickbread gets a triple hit of coconut goodness from coconut sugar (you can sub light or dark brown sugar), canned coconut milk, and melted coconut oil—but the finished bread tastes deliciously subtly of the fuzzy nut. (No worries—it does not taste like tanning lotion!) For extra richness, you can stir in a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract, or top the batter with shredded unsweetened coconut before baking, but the simple loaf tastes pretty great as is.

35 of 46 Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Crunchy Zucchini Chips

Crunchy Zucchini Chips Recipe
Ann's kids fell in love with these chips, and you will, too. Besides the savory seasoning, the crispy zucchini rounds have a secret whole-grain weapon: amaranth in the breading. It makes them amazingly crunchy without overpowering the vegetable. Serve them with burgers, sandwiches, or grilled chicken.

36 of 46 Caitlin Bensel

Elote-Style Zucchini Noodles

Elote-Style Zucchini Noodles Recipe
Elote, corn dressed with chile and a creamy drizzle, joins spiralized zucchini "noodles" for an addictive summer salad.

37 of 46 Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Lower

Zucchini and Bean Burritos

Zucchini and Bean Burritos Recipe
The bean mixture acts as a barrier between the tortilla and the zucchini, so the burritos stay crisp.

38 of 46 Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche (Quiche de Courgettes au Chèvre)

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche (Quiche de Courgettes au Chèvre) Recipe
This dish is a bit of a project, but once you have the pastry rolled and pressed into the tart pan, most of the work is done, and you can do that well in advance. Keep the dough in the freezer, ready to bake when you need it. (The crust is a lightened adaptation of Tanis' original crust. We reduced the amount of butter by 5 tablespoons and the cream cheese by 2 ounces, and doubled the amount of yogurt.)

39 of 46 Photo: Hector Manuel Sanches; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Hummus-Zucchini English Muffin

Hummus-Zucchini English Muffin Recipe

The Savings: 30g added sugar

The Usual: White-flour bagel, cream cheese, and strawberry jam

40 of 46 Photo: Con Poulos; Styling: Jeffrey W. Miller

Orzo Salad with Zucchini and Feta

Orzo Salad with Zucchini and Feta Recipe
Zucchini and feta pair well with orzo in this light summer side dish.

41 of 46 Photo: Jason Varney; Styling: Claire Spollen

Summer Veggie Pasta

Summer Veggie Pasta Recipe
No-cook veggies make this easy dish a weeknight favorite. Peeling zucchini and squash into ribbons makes them fun to eat for kids.

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Honey-Dijon Chicken Paillards with Zucchini Slaw

Honey-Dijon Chicken Paillards with Zucchini Slaw Recipe
"Paillard" is a French term for any cut of meat that's been sliced or pounded thin, a brilliant shortcutting technique for plump chicken breasts.

43 of 46 Photography: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Zucchini Butter

Zucchini Butter Recipe
Zucchini's mild flavor concentrates into something much richer when you cook it until most of its liquid evaporates.

44 of 46 Photo: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Spiralized Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

Spiralized Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette Recipe
This savory summer galette is a most delicious way to showcase your bounty of peak season zucchini and yellow squash. Spiralizing summer squash for the filling gives this rustic tart a super fun look—it’s sure to be a stand out addition to any potluck or cookout spread. Accented with savory-sweet caramelized onions and cherry tomatoes, this “zoodle” filled galette is like a slightly more elegant, veggie-forward take on “spaghetti pie.” One spiralizer pro-tip for keeping excess moisture to a minimum: Once you’ve spiralized the zucchini and yellow squash, place the strands into a clean kitchen towel and give it a good squeeze, and then dump them into a colander placed over a large bowl while you prep the rest of your ingredients.

45 of 46 Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Honey-Dijon Glazed Salmon with Flash-Cooked Zucchini

Honey-Dijon Glazed Salmon with Flash-Cooked Zucchini Recipe
Preheating the pan allows the skin side of the salmon fillets to crisp while the broiler quickly cooks the flesh side. The honey-Dijon glaze locks in moisture and caramelizes nicely in the hot oven. No pastry brush? Use a spoon to divide the sticky glaze evenly over fillets, and then use the back of the spoon to spread. While the broiler preheats, prepare the honey mixture and cook the zucchini while the salmon cooks in the oven.

46 of 46 Photo: Eva Kolenko; Styling: Karen Shinto

Zucchini and Corn Lasagna

Zucchini and Corn Lasagna Recipe
In this vegetable-centric (and gluten-free) dish, zucchini takes the place of the usual pasta. You can use green or yellow squash, or both. A handheld slicer makes quick work of cutting the squash.