Grilled zucchini in green sauce is a cold, flavorful, and light side dish, perfect for accompanying grilled meat or fish dishes, or even served as an appetizer. This preparation is typical of the summer period, when seeking fresh and low-calorie recipes, but, admittedly, grilled zucchini alone does not have a strong flavor. For this reason – as with zucchini carpaccio – it is common to enrich them with emulsions and sauces, like salmoriglio or Greek yogurt-based sauce. Today, however, I recommend trying a green sauce, made from parsley, capers, and anchovies in oil, simple to prepare and very versatile. This sauce not only enhances the taste of grilled vegetables but is also perfect for dressing boiled meat or boiled beef, grilled chicken breast, steamed fish, or salt-baked roast. Before serving the grilled zucchini in green sauce, it is advisable to let them rest for at least an hour. The result will be a dish with a rich and fresh taste, perfect for any occasion!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Grill
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Autumn
- Energy 96.20 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 5.03 (g) of which sugars 0.06 (g)
- Proteins 4.51 (g)
- Fat 7.74 (g) of which saturated 1.15 (g)of which unsaturated 0.38 (g)
- Fibers 1.84 (g)
- Sodium 139.80 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Grilled Zucchini with Green Sauce
- 1.32 lbs zucchini
- 1 tablespoon salted capers
- 2 anchovies in oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 bunch parsley
- A few leaves mint
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Grill Pan non-stick
- 1 Mixer small
How to Prepare Grilled Zucchini with Green Sauce
To prepare grilled zucchini in green sauce, start by washing and trimming the zucchini. Slice them thinly lengthwise using a knife. If you prefer, you can use a mandoline (1) but adjust it so that it doesn’t cut slices that are too thin; otherwise, they will burn as soon as placed on the hot grill.
Place a non-stick grill pan over the heat (or turn the electric grill to maximum power) and when it is hot, place the zucchini side by side (2). Grill them for one or two minutes, then turn them over (3) and let them cook on the other side too.
As they are cooked, remove them from the grill and let them cool on a plate (4). Once all the zucchini are grilled, prepare the green sauce: in a small mixer, place the washed and dried parsley along with the mint leaves (3 or 4 are enough), the well-drained anchovies, and the desalted capers (5). Blend for a few moments, then add a splash of vinegar to taste and 3 tablespoons of oil (6).
Blend again until you obtain a homogeneous sauce (7). Taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed. In a bowl or plate, layer the grilled zucchini, dressing them with a few tablespoons of sauce. Form another layer of zucchini dressed with the green sauce and continue until all the ingredients are used up (8).
Let the grilled zucchini in green sauce rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Storage
The zucchini prepared in this way can be stored for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator, in a sealed glass container.
Tips and Variations
If you like, you can also add a clove of garlic to the mixer, removing not just the peel but also the central part beforehand.
