ITALIAN GRILLED ZUCCHINI
What says summer in Italy like the taste of fresh produce grilled on the barbecue? In this recipe, we take the humble zucchini and give it sensational flavors. Fresh mint, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, the crunch of almonds—this dish has everything you want from a refreshing antipasto or side dish.
Watch the Italian Grilled Zucchini video recipe:
Italian GRILLED ZUCCHINI: A Must-Try Recipe for Flavorful Feasts!
Vincenzo’s Plate Tips
How you cut the zucchini is important
Cutting the zucchini to the perfect thickness will make sure that it cooks just right. If it is too thin, it will simply shrink and burn on the grill – too thick and it will take longer to cook and be more difficult to absorb the beautiful dressing.
Use a top-quality balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar make all the difference in this dish. Keep in mind that a great balsamic vinegar doesn’t need to be expensive, but it should be high quality. But if you can find a high quality balsamic vinegar from Modena – invest in it cause it is incredibly flavorsome so you only need a little bit and will still get maximum impact.
Make dressing from scratch
Don’t be fooled by fake Italian dressings you buy in stores. There’s no such thing as “Italian dressing.” They’re just taking your money! You can make your own with just garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar; It will taste so much better and it’s easy to make.
Grill on the barbecue if you can
The best way to make grilled zucchini is to barbecue over charcoal outside. On the other hand, if it’s winter or you don’t have a barbecue, you can use a frying pan. Use a very high heat and make sure the pan is hot before placing the zucchini to cook.
How to Serve Italian Grilled Zucchini
Serving the grilled zucchini is all about layers, so you can basically arrange the plate yourself while you are grilling more zucchini on the barbecue or skillet. Simply arrange the zucchini on a plate, cover in the dressing with salt and mint (make sure to tear the mint, don’t cut it with a knife), and add almonds; once you’re done with one layer, start on the next.
Add a full sprig of mint to the top of the plate as garnish.
Italian Grilled Zucchini
Print Recipe
Equipment
- knife
- Barbecue or skillet
- Garlic press (optional)
- Small bowl
- Spoon
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 3 Zucchini
- 1 Garlic clove
- small bunch Mint
- Roasted Almonds, crushed
- Extra virgin olive oil, As much as required
- Balsamic vinegar, As much as preferred
- Salt, As much as required
- Pepper, As much as preferred
Instructions
- Cut zucchini in thin slices diagonally and lay on a wooden board to the side.
- Crush one clove of garlic and put it in a small bowl then add a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar (to your liking) and stir the mixture briskly.
- Heat up the grill on your BBQ or a skillet on the stove and place the zucchini on top.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes or until lines start to appear on the side you’re cooking. Onvce they have started to brown, turn each one over and cook on the other side too – this side probably won’t take as long so keep your eye on them.
- Once ready, transfer them on to your serving board or platter and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
- Drizzle dressing from the small bowl all over the grilled zucchini until they are all smothered and glistening.
- Break mint into small pieces and sprinkle on top before adding the almonds too.
- Repeat the process, slightly overlapping second layer of zucchini over the first.
Video
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate...Enjoy!
Here you can find 2 additional recipes perfect for your Summer meals:
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