I’ve never been a big zucchini fan. When restaurants add it to pasta dishes, like pasta primavera, I usually find it bland and watery. However, last fall I had it prepared at a restaurant in a way that was so delicious, my mind was changed forever.
It was grilled simply with lots of seasoning. The grill gave the cut side of the zucchini lots of favor and texture. I tried it at home with my grill pan and now I eat it at least once a week in the summer. I like to use a cast iron grill press to weigh down the zucchini as it cooks and the pressure drains some of the excess water.
Basic Grilled Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat grill pan on medium high heat.
- Trim ends of zucchini and cut lengthwise in half.
- On your cutting board - rub zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper (use salt and pepper liberally - this is where the flavor comes from and much of it comes off as you cook). All sides should be coated evenly.
- Place zucchini cut side down on hot grill pan and cover with grill press. If you don't have a grill press, you can use the bottom of a clean, heavy skillet.
- Sear 3-4 minutes and then rotate skin side down for another 3-4 minutes. Try not to move the zucchini once you place it down - that way you'll get pretty grill marks.