Zucchini cooked to a golden brown, with a buttery garlic sauce and topped with parmesan cheese. This simple side dish is bursting with flavor and SO easy to make!
This Mom's Menu is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This post may be sponsored or contain affiliate links but all opinions are my own. I may earn money from purchases made through the links shared here (at no additional cost to you)
Zucchini is one of my favorite summer vegetables. It's got a very mild flavor on its own and so it easily takes on the flavor of whatever you season it with and what better flavor combo is there than garlic and parmesan?
In addition to being so versatile flavor-wise, zucchini is also delicious cooked in several ways. It can be grilled, air-fried, roasted, and yes - even sauteed!
How do you cook zucchini without making it mushy?
No matter how you cook your zucchini it is important to cook it at a high temperature. This allows the outside to get nice and browned while to inside keeps some of its bite.
It also helps if you use a heavy skillet that is NOT non-stick. I suggest cast iron or stainless steel.
For this recipe, I usually cut the zucchini into ¼ inch slices. If you prefer a softer zucchini then you can cut them thinner, and for a more crisp zucchini leave them thicker.
Why do I need to use avocado oil and butter?
You may be wondering why you can't just use butter or avocado oil instead of both. The reason is very simple. You need to cook the zucchini at a high temp which would cause the butter to burn.
Avocado oil is my go-to for high heat cooking. Not only does it have a high smoke point, but it has a very mild flavor that doesn't interfere with the flavor of the food. Other good options would be corn oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil.
Butter is added at the end for flavor. You can skip the butter if you wish, but it does compliment the garlic and parmesan really well so I highly recommend it!
Why do I need to cook the zucchini in batches?
Cooking the zucchini in batched ensures that all of the zucchini gets turns a nice and uniform golden brown. Depending upon the size of your skillet and the amount of zucchini you have, you may be able to get away with skipping this step.
Sometimes, if I am in a hurry I just toss them all in at once and make sure to gently toss them in the skillet every few minutes.
Looking for more delicious ways to cook zucchini?
- Zucchini Tots
- Chicken Pesto Lasagna with Zucchini Noodles
- Low Carb Asian Noodle Bowl
- Low Carb Breakfast Casserole
- Greek Zoodle Salad
- Grilled Keto Zucchini Boats
Check out these other great healthy vegetable side dishes from This Mom's Menu:
- Sauteed Fresh Green Beans
- Asian Roasted Vegetables
- Sheet Pan Loaded Cauliflower
- Low Carb Pea Salad
- Keto Fried Okra
📖 Recipe
Garlic and Parmesan Sautéed Zucchini
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 5 cloves Garlic Minced
- 2-3 Zucchini washed and sliced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes or to taste
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese Grated
Instructions
- Heat the avocado and garlic in a large skillet over high heat. While the oil it heating season the sliced zucchini with a small amount of salt and pepper.
- Add ½ of the zucchini. Toss the zucchini in the oil, then arrange them in a single layer in the skillet.
- Cook the zucchini undisturbed for 2-3 minutes or until browned, then flip and cook on the other side for an additional 2 minutes.
- Remove the zucchini from the skillet and set it aside.
- Repeat this process with the remaining zucchini. Once the zucchini is all browned, return it to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium low.
- Add the butter and red pepper flakes. Gently stir until the butter has melted.
- Remove from heat and immediately top with the shredded parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Sarah says
The instructions leave out where to add the garlic??