Roasted Summer Squash with Pesto and Parmesan

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Roasted Summer Squash with Pesto and Parmesan is an easy delicious side dish option for zucchini or yellow summer squash, or use a combination of both! 

PIN Roasted Summer Squash to try it later!

Some people who aren’t zucchini fans might be happy to hear it, but I’m a bit sad to say that this is probably the last zucchini recipe for summer 2017. I’m one of those people who tries to hold on to summer as long as possible, but even though I’ll probably be eating zucchini and garden tomatoes for a few more weeks, I’ve started to use the oven and I know fall foods are on the way!

And this recipe is such a total winner that it’s a good way to end the string of zucchini recipes I’ve been sharing lately! If you try it, I’m guessing you might want to make it more than once before zucchini season winds down. When I came up with the recipe, I actually just started out to update the photos for a very old recipe of roasted zucchini tossed with pesto, and originally I had used Sage-Pecan Pesto for this recipe.

But the strong flavor of sage isn’t for everyone and through the years I had made this more often with my favorite Basil Pesto with Lemon, somewhere along the way cooking inspiration struck and we ended up with this Roasted Summer Squash with Pesto and Parmesan which is absolutely a huge improvement on the original recipe.

In fact, this was so good that when I was having some friends over a few nights later I made it for that get-together, and it was definitely a hit with them too. And if you use Kirkland Basil Pesto like we did, this recipe is even easier and simple enough to make for a side dish most any night of the week! Check out My Favorite Low-Carb and Keto Recipes with Pesto for more tasty ideas for using basil pesto!

How are you feeling about the approach of colder weather? Do you like to hang on to summer, or are you ready to move on to colder weather foods?

What is Summer Squash?

There are two kinds of squash, and the different names come from how squash was stored in the days when refrigerators weren’t available. Winter squash is the name for squashes like butternut and acorn, which have a hard skin and can be stored through the winter. Summer squash is the name for thin-skinned squash like zucchini, yellow crookneck or straightneck squash, or patty pan squash that will only keep for a few days without being refrigerated. Here’s more about Summer Squash and Winter Squash.

How to Make Roasted Summer Squash with Pesto and Parmesan:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

1. Preheat oven to 450F and take pesto out of the fridge to soften.
2. Cut yellow squash, zucchini, or a mixture into slices about 1/2 inch thick and lay them out on a sheet pan you’ve sprayed or brushed with a little olive oil.
3. Spray or brush the top of the squash with a tiny bit more olive oil; then season with Italian Herb Blend, salt, and a little fresh-ground black pepper.
4. Roast squash for ten minutes, or until it’s barely starting to get tender.
5. Remove squash from the oven and switch oven to broil, with a rack about 3-4 inches below the broiler.
6. Brush the top of the squash with pesto; then sprinkle with coarsely grated Parmesan.
7. Broil about 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
8. Serve hot, and wait for everyone to gush over how good this is!

More Zucchini or Summer Squash to Try:

Roasted Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Tomato, Eggplant, and Zucchini Bake with Garlic and Parmesan ~ Well Plated
Roasted Balsamic Zucchini and Mushrooms with Feta and Thyme ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Ground Turkey Pesto Yellow Squash and Zucchini Noodles ~ Reluctant Entertainer
Low-Carb Zucchini Bake with Feta and Thyme ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen

Print

Roasted Summer Squash with Pesto and Parmesan

Yield 6 servings

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Roasted Summer Squash with Pesto and Parmesan is an ultra easy and delicious side dish option for zucchini or yellow summer squash.

Ingredients

• 4 medium summer squash or zucchini, washed and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 tsp. + 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. Italian Herb Blend
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup Basil Pesto (more or less to taste; see notes)
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese (more or less to taste)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Take pesto out of the fridge and measure out 1/3 cup into a small bowl and let it soften on the counter. Brush large baking sheet with 2 tsp. olive oil (or spray it if you have an olive oil sprayer.)
2. Wash squash and cut off stem and blossom end. Cut squash into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange squash in single layer on a roasting pan. (If you have two colors, it looks nice to alternate them.) Brush the top of the squash with the other 2 tsp. olive oil and season with Italian Herb Blend, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Roast squash for 10 minutes, or until the squash is barely starting to soften when you pierce it with a fork.
3. Remove squash from oven and turn the oven to broil, with a rack about 3-4 inches below the heat element. Brush the top of the hot squash pieces with Basil Pesto with Lemon, or Kirkland Basil Pesto and sprinkle with the coarsely-grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Put the baking sheet under the broiler and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. (Watch it carefully; things can easily burn under the broiler.)
5. Serve hot. This can probably be kept in the fridge and reheated, although I haven't ever had any left to try that with. I'm guessing it's probably best freshly made.

Notes

I'd love to make this with my homemade Basil Pesto with Lemon, but if I didn't have any of that in the freezer I'd happily use my favorite Kirkland Basil Pesto.

Recipe created by Kalyn and adapted into this updated version in 2017.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 320mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This simple-to-make vegetable dish is perfect for any low-glycemic or low-carb eating plan. For the South Beach Diet be sure to use a moderate amount of cheese and pesto, since both are high in saturated fat.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Zucchini Recipes or Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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