Zucchini is a summertime staple. And with just one simple technique and three ingredients— zucchini, salt and oil — you can transform the crisp vegetable into a tender, perfectly caramelized side dish or main.
To make it, I employ chef Thomas Keller's two-step method that involves pan-searing and then roasting. Pan-searing first in hot oil produces a golden brown, caramelized layer, while roasting in a very hot oven ensures soft, tender flesh.
Rich in both sweet and savory nuances, this luscious roasted zucchini needs nothing else but the addition of a vibrant, tomato and olive vierge topping really does take it to another level.
And since the recipe is quite simple, you have plenty of time to craft a vierge (virgin sauce), which is basically the French version of salsa. For mine, I use ripe tomatoes, Greek olives, lemon, garlic and green onions. Trust me when I say, you’ll want to spoon it over everything.
Before diving in, here are a few tips to guarantee success.
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How to cook zucchini
Choose medium zucchini. This recipe works best with medium squash, not the smaller zucchini. Three medium zucchini should weigh about 1 ¼ pounds (use the scale in the produce department of your grocery store to check).
Use any summer squash. You can also use yellow squash, or a combination of zucchini and yellow squash. I typically use a combination.
Salt your zucchini before cooking. Zucchini is 94 percent water, which is why it gets mushy when cooked for too long. The first step in this recipe involves salting the flesh of the zucchini and allowing it to stand for 15 minutes. The salt draws the moisture from the flesh which helps ensure that the vegetable stays firm during roasting. This moisture (and excess salt) is patted off with a paper towel before cooking.
Added benefit: the salt works its way into the scores of the flesh and seasons the zucchini all the way to the center.
Use oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor. There are two cooking methods in this recipe, pan-searing and roasting, which both require very high heat. Choose an oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor, such as canola, avocado or grapeseed, rather than olive oil.
When pan-searing the zucchini, make sure you have enough oil to cover the surface of the pan by about ⅛-inch.
Check the oven often. Since we’re cooking the zucchini at a very high temperature, and it’s already pan-seared, check for tenderness after 15 minutes. The size of your zucchini, the pan you’re using and how caramelized the vegetable is already, will all affect cooking time. When finished cooking, the zucchini should be completely tender. My zucchini was perfectly soft at 15 minutes.
The ultimate zucchini recipe
Make the vierge sauce while you salted zucchini sits to give the ingredients a chance to mingle and evolve before serving. You can also prepare the vierge a day in advance. Store the sauce in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. Feel free to swap in other sauces and toppings like minced roasted red peppers with feta, marinara with parmesan cheese, store-bought salsa or pesto, or simply serve this amazing zucchini without anything at all.
Makes: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
For the zucchini:
- 3 medium zucchini, or a combination of zucchini and yellow squash, about 1 ¼ pounds total
- Salt
- 2-3 tablespoons canola oil, or neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado or grapeseed, plus more if needed to coat the pan
For the vierge sauce:
- 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons diced Greek or Spanish olives
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh garlic
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Halve the zucchini lengthwise and score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern, about ⅛-inch deep. Sprinkle the scored side of the zucchini evenly with salt and let stand for 15 minutes to allow the salt to pull moisture from the flesh. This step ensures that the zucchini stays firm during roasting.
- Meanwhile, make the vierge sauce:
- Halve the tomatoes crosswise and use a small spoon to scoop out (and discard) the watery insides and seeds. Finely dice the tomatoes and transfer them to a medium bowl.
- Add the olive oil, olives, green onion, lemon juice and garlic and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and set aside.
- After 15 minutes, pat the zucchini dry and wipe with a paper towel to remove excess salt.
- Heat canola oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat (the oil should cover the surface of the pan by about ⅛-inch). When the oil is shimmering, but not yet smoking), add the zucchini, flesh side down. Sear until nicely browned and caramelized, but not burned, checking frequently. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the pan to a lower rack in the pre-heated oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the zucchini are very soft. Timing will depend on the size of the zucchini and how deeply they were caramelized, so start checking after 15 minutes. When the zucchini are soft to the touch, they’re ready.
- Transfer the zucchini to serving platter and, if necessary and desired, blot with paper towels to remove excess oil. Top the zucchini with some of the vierge and serve with extra sauce on the side.
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Questions or comments? Email the culinary team atcooking@azcentral.com.
