Heat up your grill because this Italian style grilled zucchini is delicious! It is a simple and easy recipe, yet so divine you will want to make it as a side dish for every entree. It is also healthy, hearty, and the perfect component for any summer BBQ party.
This Italian style grilled zucchini recipe is inspired by our time in Tuscany where we learned how Italians truly love and care for their food. Moreover, since this recipe is all about the zucchini it is important to use the best-quality produce possible.
Fresh ingredients – washed, cut, grilled, and drizzled with love… that is all this recipe needs to be perfecto!
Fresh From the Garden in Tuscany
One of our favorite weeks spent in Italy was living on a local’s farm in the countryside of Tuscany. Our hosts, Andro and Marina, had 140 acres of land that was filled with chickens running around, an olive tree farm, vineyard, fruit trees, vegetable garden, bushes of wild berries, hazelnut trees, and more.
This is where we learned the true value of food. It all starts with the soil and love a farmer puts into their garden. Every morning we would work diligently on the organic garden. At the end of the day, we would harvest a variety of vegetables and fruit. Then we would wash the fresh fruit and vegetables, cook it with simple ingredients, and it would be the best food we ever had.
Andro and Marina taught us how to make several amazing Italian dishes including a Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Vegetables and a 9-minute Instant Pot Creme Caramel. Every meal was amazing, but one side entree we enjoyed the most was Italian style grilled zucchini. Fresh zucchini, fresh mint, fresh parsley, garlic, and olive oil all produced in their backyard. It was the best zucchini we ever had.
So when we make this recipe at home, we try our best to support and purchase from local farmers to replicate the same taste of Tuscany.
List of Ingredients for Italian Style Grilled Zucchini
As stated previously, this is a very simple recipe. It is all about the fresh ingredients. So the better quality and fresh ingredients you use, the better your grilled zucchini will taste.
- Zucchini
- Fresh mint
- Fresh parsley
- Garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Italian Style Grilled Zucchini
The first thing you want to do is wash the fresh ingredients. Rinse the zucchini, mint, and parsley under cold water and gently rub the zucchini and herbs with your fingers to remove any excess sediment. Then dry the zucchini and herbs with a paper towel and set aside.
Finely mince the garlic cloves, fresh mint, and fresh parsley. Mix all the ingredients together and set aside in a small bowl.
Cut the ends of the zucchini and then slice it lengthwise by hand or with a mandolin slicer. You want the zucchini to be sliced no more than 1/4 in. (1/2 cm.) thick. If you cut the zucchini too thin, it will be paper-thin after you grill it – as the zucchini shrink during the cooking process.
Heat up your grill to medium-high temperature, whether it is a panini press, stove-top grill pan, or outside grill. Oil the grill as needed then place your freshly sliced zucchini on the grill and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Flip the zucchini over and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. You are looking for beautiful grill marks.
Place the grilled zucchini on a plate to create one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle the mixed garlic and herbs followed by salt and pepper to taste.
Repeat this process with the remaining zucchini and ingredients for every layer on the plate until you are finished. By the end, you should have beautiful layers of grilled zucchini on a plate drizzled with olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Serve and enjoy!
Italian Style Grilled Zucchini
A simple and hearty vegetarian recipe using fresh ingredients that make zucchini shine!
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
- 1 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tablespoons garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash all of the fresh herbs and zucchini under cold running water by using your fingers to rub any sediment off and then dry with a paper towel.
- Finely mince the garlic cloves, fresh mint, and fresh parsley. Mix all the ingredients together and set aside in a small bowl.
- Cut both ends of the zucchini and then slice it lengthwise. You want to make your slices 1/4 in. (1/2 cm.) thick.
- Heat up your grill to medium-high temperature and oil it as needed. Place the zucchini on the grill and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until it has beautiful grill marks. Turn the zucchini over and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the zucchini and spread evenly across a plate to create one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle the mixed garlic and herbs followed by salt and pepper to taste.
- Repeat this entire process creating nice even layers of Italian style grilled zucchini.
- Serve and enjoy!
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