Summer is here and with it has come an abundance of summer squash varieties. It is pretty common to see yellow squash and the common zucchini squash in produce stands throughout the colder months. But patty pan, tromboncino, and some members of the zucchini family fade out as the colder months hit and we don’t really see them again until summer comes back around.
Something I love about summer squash is that in most recipes, another variety can always be substituted in its place. Of course, the different varieties are going to have slightly different flavor profiles. But for the most part, if you have any kind of summer squash available you can make any of these summer squash recipes and more.
Read on to discover some of our favorite summer squash recipes as well as more information about this lovely summer garden treat.
Southern Squash Casserole
This recipe is great for barbecues and pot luck meals. It makes six servings so if you want less or more, you’ll just have to make measurement modifications. You’ll need about an hour of including both the prep and cook time. And it only calls for a few simple ingredients including summer squash, breadcrumbs, onions, eggs, and butter.
Baked Parmesan Yellow Squash Rounds
If you’re looking for a quick and easy snack or side-dish using yellow squash or summer squash this one is both of those. In my opinion, it’s delicious.
Related Post: Growing Squash
There are only four ingredients and two of them are herbs and seasoning, making it a quick dish you can toss together when you’re feeling lazy on a weeknight.
Grilled Patty Pan Steaks With Italian Salsa Verde
With this recipe, you have the choice to either grill or roast the patty pan squash, making it an easy to customize option. It takes about 40 minutes to create this summer squash recipe and it serves four.
You can sear the patty pan in a hot cast iron skillet, and then transfer them onto a sheet pan and roast them in the oven. Alternatively, you could simply roast it over a hot grill for about 10 minutes (5 minutes per side). You’ll need a squash, some garlic, capers, and common herbs and spices.
Stuffed 8-Ball Zucchini (Stuffed Round Zucchini Squash)
These single-serving stuffed 8-ball zucchini are a spin on the stuffed bell pepper. The ingredient list is pretty small and the instructions are simple. If you’re looking for a new take on summer squash, try out this recipe. You only need five ingredients, too!
Chicken With Tatuma Squash (Pollo con Calabacita)
This delicious one-skillet recipe sounds like the perfect weeknight meal. I haven’t tried it yet but it’s definitely on my “new recipes to try” list. One-pan meals are simple and yummy, and the cleanup is pretty easy. It’s a recipe that takes less than an hour from start to finish and it serves 4 to 6 people.
Rotini Tromboncini
This dish is colorful and full of flavor. It takes about 20 minutes to make and serves about four people. It’s a hot or warm pasta salad but if you have leftovers, they can be eaten cold and it’s just as good. You can substitute the greens for another type you prefer and the same with the cheeses.
But if you want to stick to the ingredients suggested, you’ll need tricolor rotini, summer squash, Italian sausage, radish greens, parmesan, feta, and mozzarella.
Simple Skillet Squash Medley
This is another delicious 20-minute meal. The simple squash medley is pretty amazing on its own but if you wanted to you could throw a few more summer squash varieties into the mix.
You could eat this summer squash recipe by itself, or serve it alongside some grilled chicken and salad greens. This recipe is also a great way to clear out your fridge and use veggies that are on the cusp of going bad.
Easy Baked Zucchini
With this recipe in hand and 15 minutes of your time, you will have a simple, yet mouthwatering side dish or snack. You will be amazed because there are only a few ingredients but somehow it has tons of flavor.
If you want to turn this baked zucchini into an entire meal, you could serve it on top of whole grain spaghetti with a generous serving of marinara sauce.
Stuffed Ronde de Nice Squash With Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad
This beautiful vegan recipe uses the Ronde de Nice squash — a summer squash with a hearty winter texture. It makes a nice entree and can be served warm or cold. In addition to squash, kale, and cannellini beans, this dish incorporates tomatoes, avocado, hemp hearts, and thyme.
Tinda Masala
Tinda squash is a very popular vegetable in India which is the source of this recipe. It’s full of flavor and healthy, too. In addition to the tinda squash, you’ll need some common Indian ingredients including chili powder, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and turmeric.
Sauteed Yellow Squash
This super simple recipe is incredibly easy and fast to make. You can have it as a side or just a little snack. Sometimes the fewer ingredients the better. Summer squash recipes like this are ideal to have on hand if you had a big harvest of squash and want an easy recipe you can use over and over again. All you’ll need is a summer squash, butter, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Yellow Squash Casserole
Casseroles are usually really good. This may be a summer squash recipe but it has comfort food written all over it, so you’ll want to save it for winter squashes as well.
I love to see seasonal fruits and veggies coming but I hate to see them go! Summer squash is delightful and it’s one of those foods that can pair well with just about anything if you have the right ingredients.
More Summer Squash Recipes to Try
When it comes to recipes, I love sharing. The truth is, I can go on all day when it comes to delicious food made with healthy ingredients (though I may also indulge in some not-so-healthy ingredients sometimes). With that in mind, I’ve included even more summer squash recipes below for you to explore on your own.
- Oven-Roasted Patty Pan Squash With Shallots and Herbs
- Skillet Zucchini and Yellow Squash
- Summer Squash Cake Bread Recipe
- Shaved Summer Squash Salad
- Easy Oven Baked Squash Chips
- Creamy Summer Tromboncino Squash Soup
- Pickled Squash
- Country Fried Squash
- Stuffed Cousa With Bulgur in Tomato Broth
Drop us a comment and let us know which summer squash recipes you like and if you have any more to recommend.
Summer Squash or Winter Squash
Aside from the obvious seasonal differences there are a few other differences between the summer and winter varieties.
- The Skin: Summer squash varieties have softer skin that can usually be eaten. Winter squash has much tougher skin protecting the insides from the cold weather. Most summer squash skin is edible and tastes good however, that doesn’t apply to some of the winter squashes.
- Texture: Winter squash varieties are more dense and meaty while summer varieties are light. Most winter squash should be cooked because it is tougher than its counterpart. Summer squash is more like cucumber and can be eaten either raw or cooked in a variety of summer squash recipes.
- The Seeds: Butternut and several other winter varieties have seeds similar to those of a pumpkin. Summer squash seeds are once again relatively similar to the seeds of a cucumber.
Summer Squash Varieties
There are several summer squash varieties that are widely known while some are lesser known — which is not fair because they are also incredibly delicious.
- Yellow squash (crookneck – straightneck)
- Zucchini squash (golden zucchini – 8-ball zucchini – green zucchini)
- Zephyr
- Tromboncino
- Tatum
- Patty pan
- Cousa
- Yellow squash
- Tinda
- Ronde de Nice
I just wanted to chime in that you wrote as the differences between winter squash/summer squash is not completely accurate. Summer squash is usually eaten immature, which is why the skin is tender and the seeds undeveloped and edible raw. Let a zucchini develop to its full size and maturity, for example, and you’ll find that it has hard skin and hard seeds, just like a winter squash. If you save seeds, this is important–only mature fruits have viable seeds!
Just wanted to drop that line. In the meantime, thanks for the recipe recommendations–I’ll have to try adapting that Tinda Masala with some of my homegrown squash.