Vegetables Squash + Gourds 21 Summer Squash Recipes for Easy Dinners By Food & Wine Editors Updated on December 28, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jen Causey Squash is a great addition to any summer recipe. This light, bright vegetable is versatile, nutritious, and easy to cook. These delicious recipes include a grilled summer squash casserole, crispy pancakes, and a savory pie. This sunny squash will make you smile every time. 01 of 21 Summer Squash Gratin John Kernick Recipe developer Laura Rege puts abundant summer squash and zucchini to good use in this beautiful and very simple gratin, which gets fantastic flavor from white wine, leeks, and Gruyère cheese. Get the Recipe 02 of 21 Grilled Summer Squash Casserole Victor Protasio Traditionally called malaiwala, "the one with cream," this casserole is a Punjabi twist on a ratatouille-style summer side. Chef Cheetie Kumar suggests making this a main dish by adding cubed paneer, a firm Indian cheese. Get the Recipe 03 of 21 Crispy Summer Squash Pancakes © Nicole Franzen Recipe developer Kay Chun makes her delicate, lightly spicy latkes with grated summer squash instead of potatoes. Get the Recipe 04 of 21 Summer Squash Carpaccio Jen Causey Take a trip to the local farmers market and grab some yellow squash. Sweet dates, fresh mint, and toasted pepitas spiced with Tajín seasoning take this thinly sliced summer squash dish to the next level. Get the Recipe 05 of 21 Roasted Vegetable Tarts © Carol Han Match the earthy tastes of eggplant, portobello mushrooms, shallots, red bell pepper, and zucchini here with an herbal Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. Get the Recipe 06 of 21 Summer Squash with Poblano, Queso Fresco, and Epazote Aubrie Pick Epazote is a leafy herb with a pungent, bright flavor, with notes of citrus, mint, and oregano. It lends a savory depth to the summer squash and pairs particularly well with dairy. Leaving the queso fresco in larger chunks allows it to soften slightly, but not completely melt into the dish. Get the Recipe 07 of 21 Grilled Summer Squash with Blue Cheese and Pecans Eva Kolenko This gorgeous summer squash salad is tossed with a bright, lemony dressing. Get the Recipe 08 of 21 Summer Squash and Shrimp Fricassee Cedric Angeles "Once the summer starts, there are inevitably big baskets of zucchini and yellow squash that we just don't know what to do with," says Oxford, Mississippi-based chef Vishwesh Bhatt. "This fricassee is a terrific place to use them. It's really light, it's really quick, and it's really easy to cook a big batch of it, making it an ideal centerpiece for summer gatherings." Get the Recipe 09 of 21 Summer Squash Pizza with Goat Cheese and Walnuts © James Baigrie Zucchini and yellow squash can both be mild in flavor, but nothing about this tangy, herby pizza is bland. The summer squash is sliced into slender coins, then roasted in a hot oven until it's lightly caramelized, bringing out its sweetness. Get the Recipe 10 of 21 Grilled Vegetable Flatbread with Smoked Almond Muhammara Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen In addition to turning heads at your cookouts, this vegetarian wonder is packed with make-ahead options and smart shortcuts. Make the Smoked Almond Muhammara up to three days in advance and stash it in the fridge; skip a step and substitute jarred roasted peppers for the grilled bell peppers. Get the Recipe 11 of 21 Spicy Sausage Pasta with Tomatoes and Squash Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Added just minutes before serving, thinly sliced squash melts into the pasta without losing its shape and texture. Use a mandoline to achieve wafer-thin slices. Get the Recipe 12 of 21 Grilled Squash, Corn, and Kale Salad with Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette Adrian Gaut The creamy sunflower seed dressing for this hearty summer salad is flavored with za’atar, the classic Middle Eastern spice mix that often includes thyme, oregano or marjoram, sesame seeds, tangy sumac, and salt. Get the Recipe 13 of 21 Grilled Squash Ribbons and Prosciutto with Mint Dressing © Con Poulos Grilling zucchini and summer squash ribbons on skewers is terrific because the edges become wonderfully charred and crisp, while the insides stay tender and juicy. Get the Recipe 14 of 21 Socca with Zucchini and Olives Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Socca, also called farinata in Liguria, is a tender pancake made from chickpea flour. Unlike the versions in Nice, which are cooked in copper pans, this one is baked in a cast-iron skillet before it's topped with a summery marinated squash salad. Get the Recipe 15 of 21 Spinach Fettuccine with Tangy Grilled Summer Squash © Con Poulos This simple vegan recipe features squash that's pickled and then grilled, plus freshly sautéed squash. Try it alongside a bright, citrusy white ale. Get the Recipe 16 of 21 Squash Casserole with Potato Chip Crust Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas Gooey cheese and a crisp potato chip topping are key in this Eastern Carolina dish; if you're worried that you're cooking down the vegetables too much — you're not. Gloriously caramelized mush is the goal and when done just right, this casserole can be filed under "looks like hell, tastes like heaven." Get the Recipe 17 of 21 Soba and Zucchini Noodle Salad Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Tender buckwheat noodles and crispy strands of zucchini "noodles" soak up a pleasantly piquant dressing laced with both gochugaru and gochujang for a double hit of spicy Korean peppers mellowed by a touch of brown sugar. Get the Recipe 18 of 21 Yellow Squash all'Amatriciana with Pancetta and Spicy Tomato Sauce © Emily Farris All'Amatriciana, a spicy Italian pasta sauce, is traditionally made with guanciale, salt-cured pork jowl. Pancetta is much easier to find and is a fantastic substitute, while thinly sliced yellow squash is a wonderful gluten-free alternative to semolina noodles. Get the Recipe 19 of 21 Grilled Summer Squash with Bagna Cauda and Fried Capers © Peden + Munk Bagna cauda, the simple Italian sauce of olive oil, anchovies, and garlic, flavors strips of grilled zucchini and yellow squash. The excellent topping: crispy fried capers. Get the Recipe 20 of 21 Ratatouille Slab Pie Photo by Johnny Autry / Food and Prop Styling by Charlotte Autry A crisp and sturdy crust transforms the French classic into a grab-and-go hero. Preheating the baking stone is essential to this recipe; it ensures the bottom of the slab pie is crispy and retains its texture for several hours after baking. A beautiful lattice top encases vibrant summer squash, eggplant, tomatoes, and fresh herbs in this vegetarian showstopper. Get the Recipe 21 of 21 Sheet-Pan Chicken with Zucchini and Garlicky Tomato Relish Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland This all-in-one dinner starts out minimalist — just chicken pieces and zucchini and shallot chunks, tossed with the usual suspects (olive oil, salt, and pepper) before roasting. But as the chicken and vegetables brown beautifully in the oven, you make the most of your time, prepping an herb-packed, garlic-spiked cherry tomato relish. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit