Grilled Summer Squash with Toasted Breadcrumbs
Grilled Summer Squash topped with garlic-infused parmesan breadcrumbs. Skip the soggy, bland summer squash for good.
I have a summer squash problem, says every midwesterner in the middle of July. We ask ourselves, Why did I plant so many summer squash plants? What the heck was I thinking? as we are stuffing summer squash in fritters and bread and things of that nature or randomly leaving it on our neighbors’ porch. No one craves it, per se; it typically serves as a vehicle to accomplish another stand-out dish.
So, I embraced the summer squash flavor (or lack thereof) by charring them on the grill, followed by a healthy splash of white wine vinegar and topped with parmesan garlic breadcrumbs. Suddenly, summer squash is not summer squash anymore. The acidity of the white wine vinegar brings the charred summer squash to life. The garlicky breadcrumbs bring a much-needed crunch to the tender summer squash planks and are a perfect topping to any summer pasta dish you make. Just wait, you’ll be sprinkling these breadcrumbs on everything.
As a bit of caveat, do we need to talk about how the pictures show green zucchini instead of yellow summer squash? After many rounds of testing and pleading with neighbors to take some classic yellow summer squash, I ran out. Ironic, I know. I wasn’t about to buy yellow summer squash or wait another few days for more. Nope, zucchini was at its prime in my backyard, so zucchini it is. Tis the life in the Midwest.
HOW TO MAKE GRILLED SUMMER SQUASH WITH TOASTED BREADCRUMBS
- Toast the breadcrumbs in olive oil and garlic until golden brown. Stir in parmesan cheese.
- Toss the summer squash planks with olive oil and salt.
- Grill the summer squash until nicely charred and tender.
- Sprinkle with white wine vinegar.
- Top with parmesan breadcrumbs and serve.
POSSIBLE SUBSTITUTIONS
YELLOW SUMMER SQUASH. Zucchini works great in place of yellow summer squash or use a combination of both.
GRILLED SUMMER SQUASH: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
All zucchini are summer squash, and the term summer squash also includes other varieties such as gourds, pattypan, and yellow squash.
I love zephyr summer squash and Costata Romanesco zucchini. I suggest avoiding crookneck or eight-ball squash as these will cook unevenly and be hard to cut into planks.
I don’t recommend it; the squash gets soggy and the breadcrumbs don’t reheat well.
Absolutely! Heat the grill pan to medium-high heat and proceed with the recipe.
MORE PEAK SUMMER RECIPES TO TRY
- Italian Sweet Corn Pasta with Shrimp
- Olive Oil Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic
- Juicy Grilled Whole Chicken
- Grilled Carrots with Jalapeño, Lime, and Cotija
Grilled Summer Squash with Toasted Breadcrumbs
Grilled Summer Squash topped with garlic-infused parmesan breadcrumbs. Skip the soggy, bland summer squash for good.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1–2 servings 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the summer squash:
- 1/2 pound yellow summer squash, about 2 medium
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
For the parmesan breadcrumbs:
- 1/2 cup (23g) plain breadcrumbs, such as panko
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
- sprinkle of kosher salt
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Toast the breadcrumbs. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the garlic. Let the garlic sizzle until you smell it and it is a pale golden color, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs and salt to the garlic mixture and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and stir until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Pour the breadcrumbs into a clean bowl and set aside.
- Preheat the grill. Heat an outdoor gas grill to medium-high heat. For a charcoal fire, arrange the coals in the center of the kettle for direct heat.
- Slice the summer squash. Trim the ends off of each summer squash and discard. Cut the summer squash lengthwise into 1/4″ planks.
- Season the summer squash. Place the summer squash on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt.
- Grill the summer squash. Arrange the summer squash planks in a single layer on the grill grates. Grill the summer squash planks until they are charred on both sides and tender, about 3-4 minutes per side. If your summer squash planks aren’t tender once the outsides are charred, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover until tender.
- Serve. Return the summer squash to the rimmed baking sheet and toss with white wine vinegar. Spoon the breadcrumbs over the summer squash. Eat immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
- Calories: 202 calories
- Sugar: 3.9g
- Sodium: 449mg
- Fat: 9.8g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7g
- Carbohydrates: 22.5g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Protein: 8.2g
- Cholesterol: 8mg
Keywords: grilled zucchini, grilled yellow squash