Cooks and gardeners poke fun at zucchini all season long, but the summer squash deserves respect. Few fruits and vegetables are able to move between sweet and savory genres with such ease.
Need a quick side? Slice it or dice it, drizzle with olive oil, breadcrumbs and Parmesan and pop it in the air fryer or sauté pan. Want a low-carb substitute for pasta? Zoodles it is. Planning a special dinner? Zucchini can be a sturdy vessel for all manner of fillings from a variety of global cuisines.
Its presence in baked goods is equally prolific. On the sweet side, zucchini breads and muffins are suitable for breakfast, and it also pairs well with chocolate, resulting in top-tier cakes for dessert. Its friendly flavor can accompany carrots in a carrot cake, and is equally at home in cookies. (If you’re baking for picky eaters, just peel away the green.)
We all have our favorite ways to enjoy this summer mainstay. But just as there’s always more zucchini, there are always more recipes to try. A new crop of cookbooks takes us through Ireland, Italy, Greece and around the Mediterranean, giving us a savory zucchini bread, zucchini cacio e pepe, fritters and spiced wild rice stuffing.
Savory Zucchini Bread
Serves 8; makes 1 (9-inch) cake- 1/2 cup (100 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and drizzling
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2/3 cup (150 grams) whole milk
- 1 cup (142 grams) toasted pine nuts
- 2 small zucchini (10 to 12 ounces total), sliced very thinly crosswise into rounds on a mandoline (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 6 or 7 basil leaves, sliced into thin ribbons
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup Parmigiano, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the eggs, milk and 1/2 cup oil. Whisk the wet ingredients to combine, then, using a rubber spatula, fold them into the dry ingredients. Fold in the pine nuts, followed by all but about 20 slices of the zucchini. Stir in the basil.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer. Arrange the reserved zucchini on top in a circular pattern.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano on top of the zucchini. Drizzle a few tablespoons of oil on top.
Spanakopita Fritters
Serves 4.- 3 1/3 cups (100 g) baby spinach
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 bunch of dill, mint or flat-leaf parsley, or a combination
- 4 green onions
- 3/4 cup (100 g) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (50 g) plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (100 g) feta
- Olive oil
- 1 lemon, to serve
Finely chop the herbs, trim and finely slice the green onions, and add both to the bowl. Stir in the plain flour, baking powder and a good pinch of black pepper. Beat in the eggs and yogurt. Crumble and fold in the feta.
Braised Zucchini Cacio e Pepe
Serves 2 as a side.- 2 zucchini
- 3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
- Small handful of basil leaves (about 1/2 ounce)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife
- Generous pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pecorino cheese, plus extra to serve
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper
- Squeeze of lemon juice, for serving
Discard the wilted basil leaves and garlic (or remove and mash the garlic into a paste, then add it back to the pan), then grate in the pecorino, add 20 grinds of black pepper and very gently stir into the zucchini.
Braised Zucchini Stuffed With Spiced Wild Rice
Serves 4.“This is a vibrant, summer plate inspired by a lovely lunch I once enjoyed in Izmir,” writes author Ben Tish. “I love slowly cooking zucchini in the oven to intensify their natural sweetness and, as here, they make a great vessel or ‘boat’ for a nutty, spiced rice filling. A fresh tomato sauce always works well with roasted courgettes and I’ve added a warm note of cinnamon. You can add grilled halloumi to this if you fancy, but in all honesty, it’s deliciously fresh and vibrant just as it is. Although I suggest serving this dish hot, both the zucchini and sauce are equally good served at room temperature with a salad alongside. From “Mediterra: Recipes from the islands and shores of the Mediterranean” by Ben Tish (Bloomsbury, 2024).
- 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) butter
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- About 6 Roma tomatoes (750 g), roughly chopped
- Leaves from 4 or 5 fresh thyme sprigs
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup (160 g) wild rice, washed
- Olive oil
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ras el hanout
- Leaves from 4 or 5 fresh thyme sprigs, plus extra, to garnish
- 5 large zucchini
- 2/3 cup (80 g) green olives, pitted and halved
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 6 tablespoons (50 g) pine nuts, toasted, to garnish
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 cups of water with a generous pinch of salt to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the wild rice and return the water to a boil, then lower the heat and leave to simmer until all the water has been absorbed. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave the rice to steam for a few minutes. Drain well and set aside.
Heat a good splash of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onion, ras el hanout and thyme leaves with salt and pepper and leave the onion to sweat, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the zucchini.
Cut the 4 largest zucchini in half lengthwise, then scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon, leaving an edge of about 1/4 inch thick. Chop the zucchini flesh, then finely dice the remaining zucchini. Add all the zucchini to the onion and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened but without color.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place the hollowed zucchini halves upright in a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes, or until tender.
Mix the cooked rice with the onion and zucchini, the olives and half the parsley, then season. Divide equally among the zucchini halves and drizzle with olive oil. Return to the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the zucchini is just tender. Reheat the tomato sauce, if necessary.
To serve, sprinkle the zucchini with toasted pine nuts, the remaining parsley leaves and the extra thyme leaves. Serve with the warm sauce.