A page for those of us with bumper crops of zucchini. For any of you who don’t often use zucchini, I’m hoping this will give you a change of heart! It’s an incredibly versatile ingredient in season throughout the summer, from June to late August.

The Many Ways to Use Zucchini

You can shave zucchini into salads, puree it into delicious soups, spiralize it into noodles, bake it into cakes and breads, or even grate it along with other ingredients into a slaw of sorts. It’s great with pasta, wonderful grilled, and welcome in many soups and stews. I’m including recipes below for my favorite ways to use zucchini.

How to Store Zucchini

Any zucchini you aren’t using immediately, can be preserved, pickled or frozen for later (instructions below). Because, unfortunately, with zucchini the deal is use it or lose it. When you’re faced with a crop that produces a lot of squash at once, it can feel like a part-time job to use it. The good news is you have options. 

Twenty Favorite Zucchini Recipes

If you’re looking for great zucchini recipes, you’re in the right place! These are some tried and true recipes we revisit often. The Pasta with Smashed Zucchini Cream and Zucchini Bread are especially popular.

1. Grilled Zucchini & Bread Salad

   Put a 2-pound dent in your zucchini supply with this bread salad made with torn pieces of toasted multi-grain bread, grilled zucchini, chickpeas, and a simple, garlic-forward ponzu dressing.

2. Zucchini Bread Recipe

   A single beautiful loaf of walnut-studded, sugar crusted zucchini bread. It’s popular every year!
   

3. Pasta with Smashed Zucchini Cream

   A summer favorite. This simple, garlic-boosted pasta uses two pounds of zucchini, and is endlessly adaptable.
   

4. Simple Sautéed Zucchini

   Coins of zucchini are browned in a pan with toasted gold slivers of garlic combined with lots of fresh dill or scallions. Finish with a sprinkling of almonds for a bit of crunch.
   

5. Quick Pickled Zucchini

   They’re quick to make and great to have on hand. Delicious on crusty, goat-cheese slathered grilled bread (or just about anything cheesy or crunchy) and simple salads.
   

6. Buttermilk Farro Salad

   Farro with shaved radishes, zucchini, and fennel tossed with a tangy herbed buttermilk vinaigrette.
   

7. Summer Squash Gratin

   A decadent, crunchy-topped summer squash gratin made from thinly sliced summer squash, potatoes, oregano pesto, and brown-buttered breadcrumbs. 

8. Buttermilk Summer Squash Soup

   A pureed summer squash soup with a buttermilk twist. 

9. Quinoa with Currants, Dill, and Zucchini

   Made from a quirky combination of quinoa, dill, shredded zucchini, and currants – a quinoa salad from Maria Speck’s book, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. 

10. Shaved Fennel Salad

    A favorite salad recipe from Super Natural Every Day – shaved fennel, arugula, zucchini coins, feta, toasted almonds. 

11. Zucchini Agrodolce

    Shredded zucchini doused with a garlic infused agrodolce splash of vinegar, honey, and olive oil.

12. Sopa Verde de Elote

    Sweet corn, zucchini and peas are off-set by a spike of green chile, a finishing dollop of creme fraiche, and generous squeeze of lime. 

13. Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

    A savory, summertime ricotta cheesecake recipe made with shredded zucchini, dill, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Perfect picnic or brunch fare. 

14. Quinoa and Grilled Zucchini

    Quinoa and grilled zucchini recipe is tossed with a pretty, pale green cilantro-flecked avocado dressing.

15. Spinach and Zucchini Soup

    Vibrant green spinach and zucchini soup, it’s light-and-healthy, but still creamy textured and plenty tasty.

16. A Tasty Frittata

    The prettiest, tastiest, frittata recipe. Made with potatoes, onions, zucchini and eggs drizzled with a cilantro chile sauce. 

17. Quinoa with Currants, Dill, and Zucchini

    A quinoa salad made from a quirky combination of quinoa, dill, shredded zucchini, and currants. 

18. Summer Vegetable Cianfotta

    A vibrant, colorful Campagnian summer stew from the A16: Food + Wine cookbook. It features zucchini, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, fennel, and other ingredients braised in olive oil. 

19. Lasagna Tart

    A noodle-free lasagna baked in a pie crust – layers of zucchini, ricotta, and tomato sauce. 

20. Lemony Chickpea Stir-fry

    An easy stir-fry featuring golden crusted, pan-fried chickpeas, chopped kale, summer squash, tofu, and a bit of lemon zest.

    Have fun cooking with zucchini and all the wonderful summer squash this time of your! Experiment with different varietals and ask your neighboring shoppers at local farmers’ markets to share their favorite ways to cook it. I hope this inspires you. Enjoy!

    Continue reading 20 Best Zucchini Recipes on 101 Cookbooks