Fresh zucchini recipes that will please the table

There’s more to the humble green veg than zucchini noodles. Zucchini is a spring vegetable that we love to cook with thanks to its vibrancy and versatility. And our collection of zucchini recipe ideas goes above and beyond the classics.

Whether you prefer baked zucchini in a tart, shaved and tossed through pasta, or served as a quick, easy, and simple side dish alongside a roast or main dish, the springtime vegetable always delivers. We have recipes for roasted zucchini in fresh salads of summer vegetables, grilled alongside lamb chops, baked into a tart or galette with goat’s cheese, and shredded zucchini in hobak jeon (Korean zucchini and mussel pancake). And if you’re lucky enough to come across zucchini flowers, stuff them and serve them in these spring-ready recipes. Really, what can’t zucchini do?

These are our best zucchini recipes for the season.

Japanese Zucchini skewers on dark coloured plate

Yakitori Yurippi’s zucchini skewers

Make these simple zucchini skewers the next time you’re planning a gathering.

Lamb, zucchini and haloumi flatbreads with chilli honey

This fast lamb and flatbread recipe is a great one to enjoy when it’s warm outside and you need something simple, quick and delicious.

Bird's-eye-view-of-zucchini-pecorino-basil-tart

Porcine’s zucchini, pecorino and basil tart

A tasty, seasonal recipe that’s perfect for entertaining.

An aerial view of grilled lamb chops and grilled zucchini with lemon and rosemary.

Lamb chops with grilled zucchini and tahini

Quick grilled lamb chops with a side of vibrant zucchini is just the way to welcome in the warmer months.

Zucchini and kataifi fritters

These zingy fritters make for a quick and vegetable-packed midweek meal.

Sweet and sour eggplant skewers with coconut and kale sambal

Influenced by Sri Lanka, this punchy sambal shifts tangy vegetarian skewers into holiday mode. Add fish or chicken to dial up the protein.

Vongole, zucchini blossom and brown butter spaghetti

Spring is here, and this fresh pasta dish is just the way to welcome it.

Grilled pork chops with zucchini, fennel and mint salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for grilled pork chops with zucchini, fennel and mint salad.

Asparagus and soba noodle salad with furikake pine nuts

Make it a meal: for a more substantial dish, stir-fry prawns in sesame oil and garlic and toss through the noodles.

Thin slices of tomato, potato, eggplant, and zucchini layered horizontally in a shallow dish topped with toasted breadcrumbs.

Vegetable tian with thyme crumb

The beauty of this dish is in its versatility – use any seasonal vegetable to satisfy your own tastes.

Lamb rump with zucchini, peas and mint

What goes better than lamb with mint? A preserved lemon dressing makes a fine addition.

A minestrone soup with short pasta and vegetables, topped with grated parmesan, in a brown bowl. A silver spoon sits to the right.

Classic minestrone soup

This classic recipe for minestrone, brimming with beans, vegetables and pasta, always delivers.

Fino’s grilled peach, zucchini flowers and stracciatella

A deceptively simple dish that allows the best of summer’s produce to shine.

Giovanni Pilu’s mussels and fregola

We’ve found our new favourite way to eat mussels.

Zucchini flower, mint and pecorino penne

A simple and light recipe for zucchini flower, mint and pecorino penne.

Shaved zucchini, fennel and mint salad with burrata

A simple recipe for shaved zucchini, fennel and mint salad with burrata.

orange-bowl-filled-with fennel-salad-next-to-a-plate-with-whipped-tofu tart topped with zucchini flowers and more fennel salad.

Whipped tofu and zucchini tart with fennel salad

If you’ve been wanting to ease into tofu but unsure where to start, this tofu tart is the perfect segue.

Lamb salad with peas, zucchini and olives

Emma Knowles fast recipe for lamb salad with peas, zucchini and olives.

Zucchini alla poverella

Australian Gourmet Traveller Italian side dish recipe for zucchini alla poverella by Sabino Matera from Quoco.

Marinated fried zucchini

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for marinated fried zucchini by Ruth Rogers from River Cafe in London.

Cavatelli with zucchini

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for cavatelli with zucchini by Neil Perry from Melbourne restaurant Rosetta.

Sicilian snapper with zucchini, mint and pistachio nuts

Get that sought-after crisp skin every time with this trick.

Tuna, zucchini and pea spaghetti

Emma Knowles recipe for fast tuna, zucchini and pea spaghetti.

E’cco’s zucchini salad with pecorino, currants, sunflower seeds and lemon

A spring-ready salad with the added crunch of sunflower seeds.

Moon Park’s hobak jeon (zucchini and mussels pancake)

Australian Gourmet Traveller Korean recipe for zucchini pancake (hobak jeon) by Moon Park in Sydney.

Raes on Wategos’s calamari and zucchini skewers with ‘nduja vinaigrette

A seafood take on Italian arrostinici skewers, with added kick from ‘nduja.

A dark green bowl with baked burrata, chilli sauce and slivers of zucchini, with some flatbread to the side.

Alex Davies’ baked burrata with marinated zucchini and fermented chilli

Baked burrata? You best believe it.

Salted ricotta tart with zucchini and black garlic

This luscious, summery tart is guaranteed to impress every guest, including the carnivores.

Zucchine alla scapece

This classic Italian recipe is all about the zucchini and mint.

Alla Wolf-Tasker’s tempura zucchini flowers

Crisp, delicate, and a worthy starter.

Zucchini and potato croquettes

A crisp, all-veg affair, with smoky aïoli to boot.

Linguine with goat’s cheese and caramelised leek

A colourful, vegetable-packed pasta dish; butter and goat’s cheese bring richness and oomph.

How to make ratatouille with Damien Pignolet

Let the fourth-generation French-Australian chef guide you through the art of making ratatouille.

Fried zucchini fritters with wedges of lemon, stacked on a plate lined with white baking paper, on a white background.

Giovanni Pilu’s zucchini fritters with mint and pecorino

There’s no denying the allure of crisp zucchini fritters, still warm from the fryer.

Ma po tofu in a white bowl with a green napkin and brass cutlery in the background

Louis Tikaram’s vegan ma po tofu

The Stanley chef’s meat-free take on the Sichuanese classic.

Zucchini-flower pasta freddo with buffalo mozzarella

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for zucchini-flower pasta freddo with buffalo mozzarella.

Zucchini, black olive and goat’s cheese tarts

The bold flavours of goat’s cheese and black olives make a delicious base for a simple shortcrust tart.

Matt Stone’s raw zucchini, pine nut and miso salad

A pretty-as-a-picture dish for spring.

Zucchini, ricotta and feta quesadillas

This zucchini, ricotta and feta quesadillas recipe is a really simple vegetarian dinner that will satisfy everyone, and a no-brainer for the barbecue.

Zucchini flower, asparagus and fennel salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for zucchini flower, asparagus and fennel salad.

Stuffed zucchini flowers with basil sauce

The showstopper entrée to impress.

King trout and Lebanese zucchini

Hugh Wennerbom’s advice for beautifully tender fish is to season it a day ahead. With a bit of pre-planning, it’s the kind of trick that’s 100 per cent achievable.

Zucchini and mortadella orecchiette with pecorino

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for zucchini and mortadella orecchiette with pecorino by Ben Greeno from Momofuku Seiobo in Sydney.

Speedy yoghurt flatbread with zucchini flowers and feta

Get set for the quickest, fluffiest flatbread there is to know.

Osteria Ilaria’s zucchini flowers stuffed with almond purée and aïoli

“This tempura batter gets really crisp and works really well with the garlic-scented soft almond purée in the flowers,” says Andreas Papadakis. “It’s the perfect snack for a dinner party.”

Insalata primavera

This versatile spring salad mixes and matches seasonal green vegetables for the optimal combination of textures and flavours. Experiment to your heart’s content.

Black kingfish crudo with black pepper and zucchini

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for black kingfish crudo with black pepper and zucchini.

Danielle Alvarez’s summer vegetable tian

It works as a delicious side or can hold its own as main.

Zucchini and haloumi fritters with lemon mayonnaise

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for zucchini and haloumi fritters with lemon mayonnaise.

Burrata, preserved zucchini, green olives and lovage by Dave Verheul

This light starter makes the most of summer produce while offsetting the creaminess of burrata with a light pickle and olives. It’s a simple yet crowd-pleasing dish.

Zucchini-quinoa broth with feta

A speedy way to use up extra quinoa with in-season zucchini.

Farfalle with Gorgonzola fonduta, zucchini, basil and toasted nuts

Farfalle with Gorgonzola fonduta, zucchini, basil and toasted nuts recipe – For pasta dough, process ingredients and a pinch of salt in a food processor until a dough forms.

Lake House’s zucchini and basil soup

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for Lake House’s zucchini and basil soup.

Tuna salad with zucchini, radish and sesame dressing

Take tuna salad up a level with a version that combines sashimi, seeds and raw zucchini with a tahini-soy dressing to bind it all together.

Bert’s zucchini, stracciatella and basil salad

Jordan Toft from Sydney’s Bert’s Bar and Brasserie shares his recipe for this quick summery salad, complete with lashings of stracciatella.

Zucchini and Gruyère galette

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for zucchini and Gruyère galette.

Okonomiyaki with shredded cabbage, daikon and fried noodles

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for okonomiyaki with shredded cabbage, daikon and fried noodles.

Roast stuffed zucchini flowers with tomato and oregano

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for roast stuffed zucchini flowers with tomato and oregano

Zucchini and haloumi skewers with mint dressing

We’ve brightened up the haloumi with the crunch of zucchini and a fresh, vibrant mint dressing.

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

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