Parmesan Zucchini and Corn
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A healthy 10 minute zucchini side dish to dress up any meal. It’s so simple yet full of flavor! SO SO GOOD.
Featured Comment
In an effort to use up all this summer zucchini in abundance here, I decided to make the easiest side dish ever, dressing it up with a bit of basil, oregano and thyme, a squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro leaves and all the shaved Parmesan. Yes, yes, yes.
why i love this easy side dish
- Quick and easy. This comes together lightning fast (and does not require much effort or time), perfect to keep in your back pocket to accompany those main dishes.
- Pairs well with any meal. This is one of those great side dishes that can dress up any dish – from steaks to lasagnas to casseroles and stews – it will truly go with any meal!
- Great for summer entertaining. Zucchini and corn are great vegetables to showcase summer produce, so good for summer barbecues, picnics, potlucks and entertaining all season long.
- Short ingredient list. The ingredient list here is super simple and short, most of which are pantry staples and herbs.
- Picky-eater approved. This is a quintessential side dish that kids will actually eat (and like)!
- Flexible and forgiving. This recipe can easily be dressed up as needed – add bacon, make it spicy or use a different kind of cheese. And you can use any kind of corn you have on hand. There is no wrong way of having zucchini and corn!
tips and tricks for success
- Size matters. Larger zucchini tend to be flavorless with bigger seeds and mushier centers. Choose zucchini that have bright green skin and are firm and heavy for its size.
- Make it colorful. Use a blend of zucchini and yellow squash.
- Any corn will work. Yellow or white summer corn is ideal (when they are fresh and budget-friendly) but feel free to use any corn you have on hand – roasted, frozen (thawed and drained) or canned.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice. While bottled lime juice can work in a pinch, freshly squeezed is ideal here for its vibrant, stronger flavors.
- Use high quality Parmesan. While powdered Parmesan can be a convenient option, it contains additives and fillers resulting in a gritty, sawdust texture. Opt for good quality, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or domestic Parmesan – this gives that favorited rich, nutty flavor to the dish.
- Mix it up. Add crispy bacon, make it spicy by adding in diced jalapeno or swap out the parmesan for crumbled feta.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH ZUCCHINI
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Parmesan Zucchini and Corn: Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using small to medium-sized zucchini, about 5-8 oz each and 6-8 inches in length.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Parmesan Zucchini and Corn
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in zucchini, corn, basil, oregano and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in lime juice and cilantro.
- Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan.
Video
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So yummy and easy. Will be making again. Plan to add some onions next time. Thanks for a great recipe.
How many people does the recipe yield for? I am making for a dish for our work luncheon and there are 25 people going to be there!
This recipe yields 4 servings.
I made this dish exactly as the recipe called for, and it turned out perfect. Fresh, easy, refreshing, bright, satisfying, and delicious! I had originally planned on making this as a side, but it was so good, we ended up eating all of it as a main dish. I never would have thought to use cilantro or lime with the other dry seasonings in the recipe, but it totally works! This is going to be one of my go-to recipes going forward.
After this is cooked and then cooled, do you think that this could be served as a cold salad?
Yes, of course!
I’ve recently started a low-carb diet – and I’ve been eating a lot of zucchini. I was so happy to find a different and easy recipe. My husband and I loved it!
Hello! I was hoping to make this to bring to a potluck but saw the line about serving immediately – do you think it would be ok reheated if NOT frozen first?
Yes, absolutely.
thanks for the quick response!
Best way to reheat?
You can reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave – up to you!
I meal prep for the week. If made in a large quantity, do you think it will be good frozen and reheated (without cheese). Will add that when heated.
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Did you try freezing it? I’m wondering the same thing!
Just made this today—delicious! It really was 10 minutes from start to finish, and the flavors melded well together. Thank you!
Have lots of Zucchini coming out of the Garden. Most of the ingredients here where in my garden, love that!! I had my reservations but this turned out better then I expected. The hubby ate it, that means it passed the test and I will make it again. Thank you!
Looks beautiful, you’re quite the photographer. Are you certain about the 3-4 min cocking time for all that zucchini? I can see how it will still be raw. I am not a big fan of eating raw zucchini.
Yes, the cooking time is correct – I am not a fan of eating raw zucchini myself! But as always, please do what is most comfortable for you to suit your preferences.
Made this last night for a barbecue. My friend is allergic to most herbs so I just tossed the zucchini and corn in garlic olive oil, grilled it (yes, the corn popped everywhere!), and served topped with the parmesan and a bit of parsley. Everyone loved it, and I thought it was such a great way to serve zucchini. Oh and cooking it in the meat juices still on the grill didn’t hurt the flavour either! 😉 I will definitely make this again, thanks for posting.
Made this tonight – this was SO easy and SOOOO good! Will put this side dish on repeat for sure 🙂
Looks really good the only thing is that I’m not a big fan of all the seasonigs like oregano, basil. Can I just not add that?
Absolutely! That’s the beauty of home cooking, right? 🙂
Delicious, especially with the bacon. Will make it many times in th future. Thank you!
This sounds like a recipe I need for a 4th of July potluck. To avoid the clumpy cheese, will you share what type of parm cheese you used for this recipe?
Lorrie, I highly recommend using freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
made this last night improvised on some of the ingredients it was DELISH
This was delicious!! I used fresh basil, but otherwise followed the recipe to a tee. The only thing was that the parm cheese became kind of clumpy, I think from the moisture? I didn’t really mind it, and I don’t know how to change it. Thanks for a great way to use up all of those garden zukes!!
Jen, what kind of Parmesan did you use?
I’ve made this twice, both times adding diced jalapeno, and it was perfect. My husband raved about it. It will be on my standby list for side dishes. Thanks for sharing.
This was amazing! We loved It And ate every bite!!
I made this the other night to accompany a Roast Chicken I made for dinner. The Parmesan cheese is a perfect topping for this. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was delicious!