My local market has been bursting with zucchini lately. I picked some up and decided to use them for dinner one night this week. Zucchini dinner recipes are hearty, delicious, and great for summer.
“This dish combined with a quick tomato sauce provides an excellent dinner for a nice cozy evening,” says Andy Anderson (Wichita, KS) of his Zucchini Lasagna Sans Noodles recipe. “Don’t forget a loaf of rustic bread and butter to complete the meal.”
Guests are going to love this lasagna when you have them over for dinner. The fabulous flavors in this recipe will have your meat-loving friends asking for seconds!
An issue with zucchini is that when it bakes, moisture is released. Andy gives a great tip for this. He says, “sprinkle a bit of salt on the sliced zucchini, let sit, and then pat them dry with a paper towel.” Wonderful tip!
Debbie Reid (Clearwater, FL) knocked it out of the park with her Scallops With Zucchini & Sun-Dried Tomato Linguine.
“It combines fresh pasta, scallops, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil, and lemon,” explains Debbie. “Not only is it delicious, but it is colorful and beautiful on the plate.”
There are so many flavors in the sauce and zucchini, I could eat that alone. The sun-dried tomatoes and lemon zest add bright flavor to this summertime pasta. The perfectly seared scallops on top make this a very impressive dinner.
Another pasta-based zucchini dish is Heather Chrane-Dejarnett’s (Bellevue, NE) Zucchini Pesto.
“It’s a great meatless meal that even satisfies my carnivore husband,” jokes Heather.
Using pesto in pasta salad is fantastic and it’s even better in this recipe with fresh grape tomatoes and blanched zucchini. An additional dusting of fresh Parmesan makes this pasta even better.
It’s a nice, brightly flavored salad that’s made in a snap. A delightful light summer dinner. If you want, add grilled chicken for a bit of protein.
Stuffed zucchini is one of my favorites. Here are two different ways to prepare it.
I was very impressed by Janice Ross’ (Citronelle, AL) Country Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Squash recipe. It’s a great way to use the extra bits of ingredients you may have in the fridge.
“I only had small zucchini that I had purchased to use in another recipe but it was in dire need to use,” reveals Janice. “It turned out really good.”
Really, this could be served for any meal. It was like a breakfast casserole in a zucchini boat. If you like a little extra kick to your meals, use hot sausage. This is delish!
Carol Kroesche (Salt Lake City, UT) stuffs meatballs inside zucchini for her Italian Stuffed Zucchini recipe.
“One morning, I asked my husband if he would mind stuffed zucchini for dinner AGAIN,” shares Carol. “He replied that he would rather have spaghetti and meatballs. So, I combined his request with my need to use my bountiful harvest and he loved it.”
When zucchini is abundant, this is a unique recipe to use it. I loved the flavor of the meatballs and the hearty homemade tomato sauce. A summertime twist on spaghetti and meatballs I think your family will enjoy.
When you have an abundance of zucchini, besides bread, make a tasty zucchini dinner recipe. But, if you really want to make a quick bread, here are 7 zucchini bread recipes. Happy Pinching!