Summer squash season is upon us, and we can barely contain our excitement. While our go-to preparation is roasting it in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper, we’ll be the first to admit that eating it plain can get a little boring. Luckily, we’ve rounded up 24 summer squash recipes that are guaranteed to spice things up. They’re all deliciously unique, from baked green chilaquiles to low-carb zucchini enchiladas.
24 Summer Squash Recipes We Bet You’ve Never Tried
Published May 15, 2022
1. Skillet Pasta With Summer Squash, Ricotta And Basil
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, one pan, vegetarian
When the weather gets warm, spaghetti and meatballs just aren't cutting it. Serve this hearty one-pan pasta meal, which is ready to devour in less than an hour. Bonus points if you eat it on the deck.
2. Wild Alaska Salmon And Summer Squash Kebabs
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: pescatarian, high protein, <30 minutes
Nothing screams summer like food on a stick. But you don’t necessarily have to use your grill to make awesome skewers. All you have to do is fire up a skillet and dinner’s done in 25 minutes.
3. Zucchini And Tomato Ragù
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Presenting ratatouille's chic Italian cousin. The simple dish shines with summer veggies. Eat it in a bowl for a quick lunch, serve it as a side dish with grilled meat or add a poached egg and call it breakfast.
4. Mediterranean Chicken And Summer Squash Noodles With Fried Halloumi
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein
Life is all about balance, so you have our permission to eat spiralized summer squash with a big helping of fried cheese.
5. Easy One-pan Ratatouille
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: one pan, vegan, beginner-friendly
While the traditional version is slow-cooked on the stove, this one is delightfully hands-off since it’s made in the oven. It’s healthy yet hearty, comes together in less than an hour and looks très impressive with a glass of white wine.
Foodiecrush
6. Zucchini And Fresh Corn Farmers Market Salad With Lemon-basil Vinaigrette
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, vegetarian
Coterie member Heidi Larsen gives this raw salad its spunk with a garlicky-lemon-basil vinaigrette that lightly marinates the thin squash peels and corn kernels.
7. Spiralized Summer Squash Casserole With Gluten-free Breadcrumbs
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, vegetarian
Roast squash in a cheesy sauce until it’s tender and crisp, then top everything off with gluten-free breadcrumbs. The results? The ultimate casserole that tastes indulgent but won’t weigh you down. (Thanks, Coterie member Ali Maffucci.)
8. Grilled Summer Squash With Feta
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
There comes a point every summer when we’re all up to our ears in summer squash. Luckily, Coterie member Gaby Dalkin has figured out an easy, breezy way to put an armful to work.
9. Spiced Summer Squash Quickbread
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
You can transform carrots and zucchini into bread, so why not summer squash? Enter a lightly sweetened, moist recipe that’ll keep you coming back for thirds.
Averie Cooks
10. Sheet Pan Summer Vegetables And Chicken
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein, <30 minutes, one pan
Dinner doesn’t get much easier than this one-pan meal, seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian spices. Only one question remains: Can we come over?
11. Minestrone Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, one pot
Light, summery dishes are lovely, but sometimes we crave something heartier and more comforting. Enter this easy minestrone recipe, made with canned beans for quick cooking.
12. Baked Green Chilaquiles With Sweet Corn And Summer Squash
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Homemade tortilla chips topped with tomatillo salsa, summer squash and corn make a cozy nest for baked eggs and cheese.
13. Summer Squash And Ricotta Galette
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
This galette is great hot, at room temperature or even cold. You can serve it for any meal of the day and even pack the leftovers in lunch boxes.
14. Grilled Garlic Herb Zucchini
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegan
Salad? Yawn. This is a *way* more interesting app. One part zucchini, one part summer squash, this simple summer dish is dressed with plenty of fresh herbs, olive oil and char marks.
15. Basil And Mint Yellow Squash Spiralized Salad
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, gluten free, vegan, no cook, one bowl
A dish that's Paleo, gluten-free and vegan without even trying. Combine all the raw ingredients in a bowl, toss to coat with dressing and you’re done.
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Heath Goldman
16. Easy Indian-inspired Kitchari Bowls
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, one pot
Lentils plus tummy-settling vegetables like summer squash make this easy, Indian-inspired stew the ultimate cure for feeling under the weather.
17. Summer Squash Lemon Spaghetti
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Buttery noodles, garlic, summer squash, Parmesan breadcrumbs and a squeeze of lemon—just the match for a warm summer night on the patio.
Oh Sweet Basil
18. Creamy Zucchini Squash Casserole
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan, <10 ingredients
It's one of those recipes that you’d swear involves cheese because it comes out so creamy. But thanks to sour cream, butter and cream of chicken soup, it's unnecessary (although we're sure it couldn't hurt...).
19. Rainbow Vegetable Skewers
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, beginner-friendly
Raise your hand if you’ve ever burned veggie skewer. These rainbow skewers are basically foolproof, since they each feature only one type of veggie, which ensures that all the pieces will cook evenly.
20. Low-carb Zucchini Enchiladas
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, high protein
Thin strips of zucchini stand in for traditional tortillas, while shredded rotisserie chicken offers extra protein with none of the fuss.
21. Squash And Squash Blossom Frittata
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Between the scallions, fresh herbs, zucchini and cherry tomatoes, this brunch gem screams summer. Don't sweat the squash blossoms if you can't find them—they're mostly for looks anyway.
22. Tomato And Yellow Zucchini Risotto
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, gluten free, vegan
Give yellow zucchini a go instead of green. Not only will it make the risotto more colorful, but it also turns the dish impossibly creamy—even without dairy.
23. Spaghetti Squash Fritters
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
These handhelds are packed with fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs, so you know they're tasty on their own. But just wait until you dunk them in the spicy yogurt dipping sauce.
24. Ina Garten’s Baked Spinach And Zucchini
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
This gratin-inspired veggie side boasts all the Gruyère and Parmesan, plus one delicious surprise: basmati rice. It's the ideal side to serve with hot-off-the-grill steaks or slow-cooked barbecue.
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