The humble zucchini moves from quiet weeknight sidekick, to dinner party pretty, and it’s quick and easy too!
My grill has reappeared from the snow, and while I seldom hesitate to fire it up in the middle of winter, it was just been a little too cold this week to stand there for any length of time, especially since I never got my Bernie gloves ordered!
So, inside, the grill pan came to my rescue, and in just a few minutes I had a weekend special side dish for little money, little time, and lots of flavor.
A quick grill, followed by a quick sauce of olive oil, hazelnuts, garlic, anchovies, parsley, and lemon, and we were all set. The anchovies are optional if you want to make this vegetarian, and you can substitute dairy-free Parmesan if you want it vegan. It will still be delicious. You can use any summer squash you like in this as well.
Serve this hot, cold, or, my favorite, room temperature. Of course, if it isn’t 17 degrees outside, you can do this all on the charcoal grill.
Zucchini with Garlic, Lemon, and Hazelnuts
- 4 7-inch zucchini
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 anchovies (optional)
- 2 to 3 tbsp. hazelnuts
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ¼ cup finely minced parsley
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or dairy-free alternative
- Salt and pepper
Slice the zucchini in planks, three or four each. Brush with a little olive oil and salt and pepper each side.
Heat a grill pan over medium high and put on the vent fan. Grill the zucchini in batches any way you like and remove from the pan when just cooked through. Finish the rest, and place on a serving plate.
Heat a sauté pan over medium high and add the olive oil, anchovies, and hazelnuts. Cook for a minute, then add the garlic and parsley. Cook another minute and add the zest and juice, then remove from heat and pour over the zucchini.
Give a last sprinkle of salt and pepper, and dust with a little Parmesan. Serve with lemon wedges in case someone needs a little more acid.
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That is really pretty (and I love pretty food!). I have never had hazelnuts except in cookies, so I do not have a reference for how it would taste in a vegetable based dish, but I will have to try this.
Thank you! I love nuts toasted and topping lots of vegetables, great texture and flavor. Hope you give it a try.
I love grilled zucchini and this dressed up version looks delicious! Thanks for the ideas!
You’re very welcome! There’s little you can’t do with a zucchini!
This looks so tasty, I could have it as the main dish, and I’m far from vegetarian! 🙂
It’s a perfect lunch in my opinion!
Zucchini is delicious, in my opinion. 🥒
One of our favorite vegetables, a steady friend in the kitchen!
I have one now calling my name. 👏
Love the dinner take on this one. I want to make it for dinner one of these days.
Bernie mittens are making pretty big rounds. I hope the lady who made them is getting good number of orders.
She sold out! I’m sure she’ll make more. All recycled materials.
Thank you! It’s so quick and easy and tastes divine!
Now I have sourced hazelnuts here I will definitely give this a try it sounds delicious. Zucchini has such a mild flavour it can take the garlic and nuts with some citrus, methinks…Great sounding recipe, Dorothy 🙂
Thank you Carol! The flavors all combine to help out the little zucchini!
looks yummy!
Thank you! On the charcoal grill you get the smoke flavor too, but in the dead of winter, this is pretty delicious on its own!
Nice!
Sounds delicious
Thank you! It was really tasty!
😋
the hazelnuts on top are making all the difference for me! delicious!
Thank you! The hazelnuts do make all the difference!!! Nice little crunch and pop of flavor.
Zucchini is one of my favorite things to have on hand, there are a million ways to use it~I love it grilled and your toppings sound so good! I posted zucchini recipes today too 🙂
Jenna
I love zucchini too, it’s like a blank slate, and right now it is one of the few vegetables that actually looks good in the market!
I originally thought you were going to sprinkle the zucchini with halved hazelnuts, so i love that you chopped them up. It makes much more sense! Great recipe.
I like sautéing them with the rest of the toppings, I just think they all become a lovely little medley, and the little sautéing enhances the flavor.
Definitely. Very smart!
Beautiful blog
Why thank you so much! And that’s for stopping by.
Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
You’re welcome Geri. There’s always something new to do to this delicious little vegetable.
hi dot. looks delicious. will try it soon.
hi dot, looks delicious
Thank you, thank you!
hi dot. this looks delicious. will definitely try it.
I think you’ll love it!
this sounds delicious. i love zucchini, and all the flavours sound fabulous. hazelnuts are one of my fave nuts:)
cheers
sherry
Thank you Sherry! The flavor of the hazelnuts really makes this dish!
So many yummy ways to use zucchini! This one I need to remember when my husband’s garden produces too many next summer.
One of the few things we can always be sure if!
Yum! Trying this one tonight.
Thank you! Enjoy!
Sounds delicious!
Thank you, we were pleased.
This looks so delicious! I like the addition of anchovies to this dish. Glad you could use the grill. I love grilled food!
Thank you! The anchovies add a little extra flavor, but anchovy haters won’t even know they are there!
I simply love them! Grilled zucchini are quite a frequent dish in our house and usually I season them with a good extra virgin olive oil, fresh chopped parsley and garlic…but I bet that lemon it gives a great and delicious touch ☺️😋
The lemon is a nice touch, I always appreciate a bit of acid or sour, and I love the little hint of anchovies. But, even simpler is wonderful too.
a delicious way to serve zucchini.
Thank you! We thought it was really yummy!
I enjoy grilled zucchini and adding hazelnuts sounds wonderful. Your picture is beautiful.
Thank you Julia! The hazelnuts and zucchini really do go well together!
Wonderful recipe.. we eat a lot of zucchini each week but I need to vary the way I prepare and this recipe sounds delicious.. thank you and put in the blogger daily on Sunday…hugsx
Thanks Sally! It’s so easy to get in a rut with our veggies, so I do like to try to make them feel special. It was a hit all around!
I am sold..hugsxx
Sounds great and I bet it is even better when you are able to prepare it on the grill.
Thank you! It would be even better on the grill. My husband is going to shovel a path to the grill for me!
Now that is true love. 😊
❤️
I grill zucchini planks quite often, but this dressing sounds so yummy! Will definitely make it, dear Dorothy!
Thank you my dear! That means so much to me. It is a lovely way to serve this delightful vegetable.
It certainly is! You are very welcome, darling.
This looks amazing, Dorothy. I have some zucchini in the frig that are going to get the treatment tonight. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Thank you, and you are very welcome! I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!
This looks so good!!! We always have an overabundance of zucchini in the summer, I expect to be making this often.
Thank you Liz! I’m confident you’ll enjoy this dish. It is so easy, and so tasty. I made a ton and packed some up for my sister to try, and her family loved it too!
I’m really looking forward to trying it!
This looks delicious! Very different combinations.
Thank you! It’s a nice change from plain old steamed zucchini!
Looks good! Nice change for zucchini.
Thank you! It’s a little lift to our usual side dish.
Love the sound of this
It is so quick and easy, and is always a hit!
Need to try this
Thanks! You won’t be disappointed!
I can’t wait to try this with hazelnuts. I have recently re-discovered them and your recipe is creative and looks delicious. Usually I grill my zucchini with a splash of good balsamic vinegar.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we do! The balsamic sounds delicious, a great idea. I love drizzling it on roasted vegetables.