All Jokes Aside, Zucchini Reigns in Summer
Everyone’s Favorite Summer Squash Gets Ruffled and Grilled for a Quick and Fuss-Free Dinner
Did you hear about the woman who left a zucchini in her car while she went shopping? When she got back, someone had broken in and left her three more.
Ah, zucchini: the butt of summer produce jokes.
Zucchini’s abundance and its ability to grow to enormous sizes mean that, by the height of the season, even the most hard-core zucchini lover will struggle to eat it all. This glut has even earned its own day: August 8 now officially holds the title National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day.
Before we resort to foisting overflow squash on unsuspecting neighbors, let’s give it a chance to shine in an easy (and pretty!) summer supper (or snack!).
Here we alternate thin ruffles of sweet zucchini and salty prosciutto on skewers, char them on the grill, and serve with a bright vinaigrette over a hearty pasta salad. The entire spread comes together in under 30 minutes. Chop any leftover zucchini and prosciutto and add it to leftover pasta salad for a filling lunch the next day.
Fregola, the sun-dried pasta from Sardinia, brings a complex, toasted flavor to the salad. However, feel free to substitute another small pasta, like orzo, or couscous, for convenience. And if firing up the stovetop to boil water for pasta on a hot summer day doesn’t appeal, add heft instead with a few slices of grilled bread.
Jamie Samons wouldn’t eat a vegetable until she was 18 but has spent decades making up for lost time. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the flavors created by the admirable growers and producers who make Rhode Island delicious.
