Grilled zucchini, a quick and light side dish that’s irresistible, with chef’s tips and tricks to dress it and make it even more tempting. Grilled zucchini is a classic, but it’s important to prepare them well so they steal the show from the other dishes on the table. With a mix of mint, garlic and chili pepper, I aimed for a perfect balance of freshness, tenderness and character, and good olive oil will frame the dish like a masterpiece. A hymn to the simplicity of Mediterranean cuisine, a UNESCO heritage. Very fresh zucchini, sliced thin and grilled to perfection, made irresistible by a lively emulsion of extra virgin olive oil, sweet garlic, spicy but not overpowering chili, and a shower of freshly picked fragrant mint — mine straight from the garden. The side dish you didn’t know you wanted, capable of awakening every palate.
Here’s how to prepare them for a stellar result.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 2 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Grill
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, All seasons
Ingredients for grilled zucchini
- 2 zucchini
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- sprigs fresh mint
- 1 chili pepper
- to taste salt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
Tools to prepare perfect grilled zucchini
- 1 Grill
- 1 Mandoline
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Knife
- 1 Fork
- 1 Tray
Steps to prepare grilled zucchini
Preheat the grill — I use an electric one — to the highest temperature. Meanwhile, wash and dry the zucchini; it’s best if they were picked a couple of days before preparation.
Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini thinly. I grill them immediately without salting because I prefer softer zucchini; if you want them crispier, you can salt them and leave them in a colander for at least 20 minutes — this reduces steam, they will release less water and will be slightly crispier. Use little salt if using this method, and I recommend coarse salt.
For perfect cooking it’s important that the grill is very hot and that the zucchini are dry. You don’t need to add oil for cooking — we’ll use it raw. Grill the zucchini on a very hot plate for about two minutes, until the classic dark grill marks form as they do with meat.
With tongs lift the slices off the grill and arrange them on a tray. Continue this way until all the zucchini are cooked.
Prepare the dressing. It’s better to finely chop garlic, chili and fresh mint and let them infuse in the olive oil with very little salt, so the oil becomes well flavored. If you want a slight acidic note, a little apple cider vinegar works great.
Dress the zucchini with the flavored oil and let them rest for a while before enjoying — they’ll be truly perfect, and even better the next day.
Store in the fridge for a couple of days, even better with vinegar.
