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‘Tis the season for zucchini: if you have a garden of your own or rely on a CSA basket for your vegetables, you’re probably wondering what on earth you can do with the sudden explosion of summer squash.
It’s not just the zucchini, either: summer squash comes in all shapes and sizes, including yellow squash (the ones that look like yellow zucchini), crookneck squash (also yellow and covered with little raised bumps), and patty pan squash (the tiny kind that fit in the palm of your hand).
Just take a stroll around the farmers’ market, and you’ll see the incredible variation on display.
You can use any kind of summer squash, or any combination of varieties, for this recipe. I put in both yellow and green for a nice visual effect.
The lighter flavor of summer squash can seem boring if you don’t know how to cook it properly, but try thinking of it as an opportunity instead: this is your chance to play around with bold seasonings, spices, and flavors without overwhelming the dish.
Here, the rich smokiness of bacon and the sharp tang of the capers would be overwhelming with a strong-flavored vegetable but combined with the gentle sweetness of the summer squash, the bold seasonings create a delicious overall effect.
This dish would be a great addition to any barbecue dinner, but also consider it for breakfast – the bacon adds a more traditional “breakfast” flavor, and it’s a perfect way to add some vegetables to the very start of your day.
If you’re in the middle of this month’s Whole30 and struggling to get your vegetables in with Meal 1, try it out with some compliant bacon for a fresh alternative to the usual sauteed spinach - yum!
Summer Squash and Bacon BitsRecipe
Serves: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 40 min
Ingredients
- 2 lb. summer squash, sliced;
- 8 slices of bacon cut into tiny pieces;
- ¾ cups green onions, sliced;
- 1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves;
- ¼ cup mint, coarsely chopped;
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped;
- ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil;
- 1 clove garlic, minced;
- 1tbsp. capers;
- The juice of half a lemon;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 400 F.
- Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, grind the oregano, the mint, and the parsley, and transfer them to a bowl.
- Grind the capers and the garlic. Add them to the herb mixture, stir in the olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a big bowl, mix in the squash, the green onions, the bacon bits, and the fresh herb sauce.
- Empty the bowl into a baking dish or a big skillet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the squash and the bacon bits are nicely cooked.
📖 Recipe
Summer Squash and Bacon Bits Recipe
Bacon bits and a tangy herb sauce made with capers and garlic add depth and intensity to summer squash in this inventive recipe.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 478 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lb. summer squash sliced
- 8 slices of bacon cut into tiny pieces
- ¾ cups green onions sliced
- 1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves
- ¼ cup mint coarsely chopped
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley coarsely chopped
- ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. capers
- The juice of half a lemon
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 F.
Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, grind the oregano, the mint, and the parsley, and transfer them to a bowl.
1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves, ¼ cup mint, 1 cup flat-leaf parsley
Grind the capers and the garlic. Add them to the herb mixture, stir in the olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
½ cups extra-virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, The juice of half a lemon, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, 1 tbsp. capers
In a big bowl, mix in the squash, the green onions, the bacon bits, and the fresh herb sauce.
2 lb. summer squash, ¾ cups green onions, 8 slices of bacon cut into tiny pieces
Empty the bowl into a baking dish or a big skillet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the squash and the bacon bits are nicely cooked.
Nutrition
Calories: 478kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 9gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 411mgPotassium: 849mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2066IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 3mg
Keyword bacon, bites, squash, summer
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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