Sautéed Zucchini

Quick and easy sautéed zucchini with garlic, butter, and fresh herbs is the perfect summer side dish!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword sauteed zucchini, seasonings for zucchini

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 7

Total Time 17

Servings people

Calories 61kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

½ tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 lb. zucchini (about 2 medium), thinly sliced into rounds, half-moons, or triangles
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, basil, thyme, chives, or parsley (or about ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed, dried basil, dried thyme, dried parsley, or dried chives)
½ teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Optional garnish: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese; crushed red pepper flakes

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini, and continue to cook until tender, about 5-7 more minutes.
Stir in herbs and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Zucchini gets mushy if it's overcooked, so the key to a perfect skillet of sauteed zucchini is not cooking the vegetables for too long. Once the vegetables are in the pan, keep a close eye on the dish, stirring regularly. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the zucchini becomes crisp-tender. It should look slightly wilted and soft, but still have a bit of crunch.
Wait to add the salt until you're done cooking the zucchini. If you add salt at the beginning, it draws moisture out of the vegetables and results in a mushier texture. For a stronger lemon flavor, add grated lemon zest to the skillet in addition to the lemon juice.
Summer is such a great time to take advantage of fresh herbs, but you can use dried herbs in the off-season, too. I love dill, basil, thyme, parsley, or chives in this dish, so pick your favorite -- or use a combination. Italian seasoning is a great shortcut that works well with zucchini, onion powder is tasty, and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder is a fine substitute for the fresh garlic.