If you need a really tasty zucchini recipe, try this Italian sautéed zucchini with garlic and lemon for a flavorful side dish. This simple side dish needs only a few ingredients and pairs so well with chicken, fish, or beef and it is perfect for summer!
About This Italian Side Dish
During the summer months, zucchini is so abundant and there are just not enough ways to make it to keep up with all of it. At least that is what happens in our house!
This sauteed zucchini is the simplest zucchini recipe you can make and it is loaded with so much Italian flavor. This recipe is inspired by time in Italy in the summer months and if I am not making my summer panzanella, then I am making this.
When you go to the local markets anywhere in Italy, the veggies are perfectly laid out and cleaned with so much care. The zucchini is so bright and vibrant and the lemons and garlic are all around the markets begging to be bought.
This zucchini side dish is my version of an Italian summer all wrapped up in a dish.
The fresh flavors of this simple zucchini side dish are just perfect and the best part about this recipe is it is so easy to make. Serve this with Italian chicken skewers or pork tenderloin in tomato sauce for a delicious complete meal!
Instructions
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Zucchini: Any variety will work! Actual Italian zucchini is hard to find in local grocery stores so buy or use whatever zucchini you have on hand.
- Fresh garlic: Fresh is best here! If you do not have fresh garlic, granulated garlic will work.
- Lemon: You will be using the juice of the lemon which adds so much brightness (acid) to the dish. You can use fresh lemon or bottled lemon juice but fresh is the best.
- Olive oil: The best quality you can find. Extra virgin olive oil works great.
- Kosher salt: For taste.
- Black Pepper
How to make sauteed zucchini with lemon and garlic:
- Prepare the zucchini: This is just slicing the zucchini length-wise and then cutting it into half-moon shapes. If you prefer zucchini slices that are round, feel free to do that too.
- Saute on medium-high heat: Cooking the zucchini on high heat in a large skillet helps caramelize the zucchini and the faster cooking keeps it firmer. You can adjust the cooking time depending on how firm you like the zucchini.
- Add seasoning: This is the lemon, garlic, salt and pepper which may sound simple but it is delicious! I like to add the garlic and salt at the very end of the cooking so the garlic does not burn and so the salt does not pull out the moisture in the zucchini.
Recipe Faqs
If you have issues with zucchini getting soggy when you are sauteeing it, you are cutting the zucchini too thin and not cooking it on a high enough heat. Slice the zucchini to about ¼-1/2 inches thick and cook the zucchini on medium-high heat for a short period of time.
Yes. Yellow squash will cook up just like zucchini and it makes a great substitute.
My Best Tips
- The first thing to do is make this often! It is such an incredibly easy and delicious side dish and loaded with flavor.
- Make sure to use all high-quality ingredients since there are so few. High quality simple ingredients are what Italian cooking is all about! Choose a good quality olive oil. Buy farmer's market zucchini which is allowed to ripen fully in the field. Usually, zucchini in the stores is forced to ripen after it has been harvested.
- The last piece of advice is to adjust this to your taste. If you prefer a firmer zucchini, cook it for less time. If you want to add a little more to this recipe go for it (see some ideas below)!
- Salt at the end! Make sure not to salt the zucchini until the last few seconds of cooking. Salting too early will cause the zucchini to become mushy.
Variations
Here are some of my favorite ways to change this recipe up so it is like a brand-new dish.
- Use yellow squash: This zucchini recipe can be made with yellow squash as well. Use all yellow squash or a mix of zucchini and squash.
- Add fresh herbs: Some fresh basil or fresh parsley would make a great addition to this summer side dish. Italian seasoning is also a great option.
- Add more summer veggies: If you love tomatoes, add some of those in at the end of cooking.
Making This Ahead Of Time
Because zucchini can get soggy easily, this dish is best eaten right away once it is cooked. If you want to make some of this dish ahead of time, I have found that slicing and prepping the zucchini and garlic and storing them in an air-tight container works really well.
When you are ready to cook it, it is just a few minutes of cooking when you do and your zucchini will stay crisp.
Serving Suggestions
This simple side dish goes so well with so many dishes. This makes a great addition to pasta with a little Parmigiano-Reggiano added to it. Make it your own 🙂 I really love serving alongside:
- Chicken picatta: The lemon flavors in this recipe go so well the lemon and garlic zucchini.
- It makes the perfect side to beef braciole, white bean bruschetta or garlic bread.
- Keeping with the lemon and garlic flavors, our shrimp with garlic and lemon is so delicious with it!
More Recipes for You To Enjoy
Sauteed Zucchini Italian Style (With Garlic And Lemon)
Ingredients
- 3 cups zucchini cut into ½ inch thick slices.
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add olive oil.4 tablespoon olive oil
- Add zucchini making sure they do not overlap if possible.3 cups zucchini
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes then flip.
- Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cook for an additional minute.4 cloves garlic, 1 large lemon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Plate and enjoy!
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