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Sautéed Zucchini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Sautéed zucchini with sun-dried tomatoes are golden, quick-cooked coins with chewy, intensely flavored tomatoes. Toss with garlic and red pepper flakes, then finish with lemon, shaved parmesan, and torn basil.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 170
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

zucchini
  • 3 medium zucchini Sliced into 1/4-inch rounds.
sun-dried tomatoes
  • 0.3333333333 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes Sliced.
sun-dried tomato jar oil
  • 3 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves Thinly sliced.
spice
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
seasoning
  • salt To taste.
  • black pepper To taste.
cheese
  • 0.25 cup parmesan cheese Shaved.
fresh herbs
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil Torn.
citrus
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sauté
  1. Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  2. Add the zucchini in a single layer and cook undisturbed 3 minutes until the bottoms are golden, then flip and cook 2 more minutes.
  3. Add the garlic slices and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and toss to combine, then cook 1–2 more minutes.
  5. Season with salt and black pepper, squeeze the lemon juice over the zucchini, and remove from heat.
  6. Top with shaved parmesan and torn fresh basil, then serve immediately.

Notes

Pro tip: don’t crowd the skillet—cooking the zucchini undisturbed helps you get golden coins instead of steam-soft rounds. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm briefly in a skillet over medium heat. Freezing isn’t recommended because the zucchini texture softens. For a dairy-light swap, use a hard vegetarian parmesan-style cheese or omit parmesan and increase basil and lemon to keep it bright.