Summer Squash: Stuffed, Baked, Sautéed, Grilled or Sliced Fresh

Written by Dani Rodriguez-Brindicci, MS, RDN, Torrance Memorial Director of Clinical Nutrition

When it comes to summer squash, such as zucchini, pattypan and yellow crookneck, you've got options. You can stuff them, bake them, steam them, roast them, grill them … or even eat them raw on salads or dip pieces into hummus. Unlike winter squash, the summer variety have soft, thin skin perfectly edible, with a mild flavor ranging from sweet to nutty.

Get creative cooking this vegetable, and make it a fun activity to prepare with the kids. Summer squash is high in vitamins A, B6, C, folate, magnesium, fiber, riboflavin, phosphorous and potassium. This makes it a serious nutritional power-packed veggie.

Since different varieties of squash are similar in texture, they can be swapped for one another in recipes. Here are a few ideas about how to incorporate summer squash into your menu.

• Grill it. Cut into long strips and place directly on the grill or cook smaller pieces in foil.
• Grate it and bake with it. Summer squash can be used in pancakes, muffins, breads and cakes.
• Stuff it. Summer squash can be stuffed with beans and lentils or used as a boat for any baked side dish.
• Sauté it. On a large skillet with a little olive oil, sauté until crisp-tender.
• Slice it. Cut into strips and eat raw on salads or dip into hummus.

Whichever way you slice, dice or peel it, summer squash’s time to shine is now! Make the most of it with this zucchini recipe.

Zucchini Lasagna

Zucchini lasagna is a fresh take on a classic comfort food dish. Zucchini slices replace pasta in this low-carb, gluten-free beef lasagna. This veggie-loaded dish is perfect in the summer with garden-fresh veggies and herbs, but it still has the rich flavor and scrumptious texture of a traditional lasagna.

PREP TIME: 30 mins
COOK TIME: 50 mins
SERVINGS: 12

Nutrition:

Calories: 362cal
Carbohydrates: 7g
Protein: 25g
Fat: 26g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Cholesterol: 104mg
Sodium: 603mg
Potassium: 626mg
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 4g
Vitamin A: 720IU
Vitamin C: 16mg
Calcium: 270mg
Iron: 3mg

Ingredients:

• 4 large zucchini
• 2 pounds ground beef
• (or ground turkey)
• 24 ounces pasta sauce
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste
• small handful fresh
• parsley and basil,
• chopped
• 1½ cups grated
• mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F.
2. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices, as thin or thick as you’d like. Pat dry with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture. Set aside.
3. Add ground beef or turkey to a large pan over medium-high heat. Finely break down the ground beef with a spatula and pan-fry until browned.
4. Pour the pasta sauce on top of the meat (reserving ½ cup) and stir together; remove from heat.
5. In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, salt and pepper.
6. Spread ½ cup of pasta sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 casserole dish.
7. Add zucchini slices on top of the pasta sauce. They can overlap or you can place them side-by-side.
8. Top the zucchini with half of the meat sauce, and evenly spread half of the ricotta mix on top.
9. Add ½ cup mozzarella on top of the ricotta mixture, along with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and basil.
10. Repeat these layers one more time.
11. Top the lasagna with a final layer of zucchini slices, a sprinkle of chopped parsley and basil and ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
12. Bake the lasagna at 400º F for 40-45 minutes. Broil for a couple of minutes to get a golden top.
13. Garnish with whole basil leaves and serve.

Summer Squash Salad

Nothing beats simple recipes when in a pinch, and they are often the tastiest. Here is an easy way to impress and have fun with tasty summer squash!

PREP TIME: 25 mins
COOK TIME: 5 mins
SERVINGS: 4

Nutrition:

Calories: 122.6cal
Carbohydrates: 9.5g
Protein: 5g
Fat: 9.1g
Saturated Fat: 1.3g
Cholesterol: 17.8mg
Sodium: 295mg
Potassium: 350.6mg
Fiber: 2.5g
Sugar: 1.3g
Vitamin A: 327IU
Vitamin C: 58.7mg
Calcium: 77.8mg
Iron: 0.9mg

Ingredients:

• 2 yellow squash (straightneck squash), shaved into strips
• 1 zucchini, shaved into strips
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced, or more to taste
• 1 pinch each, salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 3 slices prosciutto, chopped
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:

1. Wash squash thoroughly. Use a julienne peeler, mandolin or a spiralizer to thinly slice the squash into long strips. To cut the prep time, many markets now sell squash already in strips.
2. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and add to squash strips.
3. Whisk mint, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and black pepper in a small bowl; pour over squash mixture. Toss to coat.
4. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook and stir prosciutto in the hot skillet until crisp, about 2 minutes.
5. Divide squash salad over 4 plates. Evenly sprinkle prosciutto and feta cheese over salads.

If you have questions or are interested in learning more techniques to help build a healthy and nutritious lifestyle, contact one of our registered dietitian nutritionists at the Outpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy office or our Diabetes Self-Management Program located in the Torrance Memorial Specialty Center, 2841 Lomita Blvd., Suite 335, Torrance. Call 310-891-6707. Virtual consultations now available. TorranceMemorial.org/nutrition