Sautéed Zucchini Recipe
By
Lisa Lavery
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Every summer, a bumper crop of zucchini rolls into farmers’ markets. Sautéing is a fast and healthy way to utilize this bountiful summer squash. Serve it next to a grilled rib-eye or turkey meatloaf.
What to buy: When choosing zucchini, look for a bright green color and a length no longer than 10 to 12 inches; any bigger and the seeds take on a bitter flavor.
This recipe was made with standard green zucchini, but it would be equally delicious with any tender, similarly shaped summer squash, such as yellow crookneck or gold zucchini. Try using a combination of squash to vary the color on the plate.
This recipe was featured as part of our Summer Ingredients recipe slideshow.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium unpeeled garlic clove
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound zucchini (about 4 medium), trimmed and cut into 2-by-1/4-inch matchsticks
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the garlic clove on a cutting board and, using the flat side of your knife, smash the clove by pushing on the knife blade with the heel of your hand. Remove and discard the peel and set the garlic clove aside.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon or tongs and discard (or save for another use).
- Add the zucchini to the pan and toss until coated with oil. Let cook undisturbed until the bottoms of the matchsticks are golden brown, about 1 minute. Toss again and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute more. Remove the pan from heat and season the zucchini with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the zucchini to a serving dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Hi Jaipur,
The key to a successful zucchini saute is high heat and plenty of room in the pan. The amount of oil should be just enough to keep the food from sticking. Hope this helps!
Cheers, Lisa Lavery (CHOW Test Kitchen)
Whenever I have tried to cook with zucchini, I find that the vegetable sweats and instead of flying it, I steam it in oil! Am I missing something? Help! Thank you!
This is great...I think I'm going to add to some wheat Farfalle with grape tomatoes and ricotta salata...actually, I found some yellow cherry tomatoes that would make for a nice color palette...sounds good, huh?
Continued success you guys...and if you ever need a very disciplined and organized prep cook...let me know.
Cheers,
Kim
Hi roscomo,
2 teaspoons is the correct amount for this recipe. We tested it in the CHOW kitchen and found it was enough oil to give nice browning, but not so much that the zucchini soaks up all the oil and becomes greasy.
Thanks, Lisa Lavery (CHOW Test Kitchen)
is this possibly supposed to be two tablespoons olive oil? two teaspoons seems a little scanty