Inventive and unusual veggie-based salads and sides might just be my very favorite genre of recipe – I never tire of making or creating them. This grilled squash recipe is a perfect example of what I’m talking about – it’s a very simple combination of humble ingredients (cheese, squash, nuts, lettuce) but by cooking both the romaine and the squash on a grill pan, we’ll impart a new level of flavor to everything, almost like adding another huge ingredient without actually doing so (a favorite Kitchen Little trick). Grilling has that magical ability, what with all of the smoky char you get. When the cooking method itself actually manages to flavor your food, you’re definitely winning in the minimalist kitchen.
We’ll use an indoor grill pan (one of our favorite tools) to impart smoky flavor to some summer squash – either zucchini or yellow squash – and we’ll dress it all up with some chopped hazelnuts and crunchy lettuces. A shower of shaved parmesan adds richness and saltiness to this perfect summery side/salad. I like to serve with a lemony Sriracha dressing on the side (directions below), but you can use whatever dressing you like or happen to have on hand.
What is a grill pan and why do you need one?
Grills pans are, in our humble opinion, an indispensable kitchen tool to keep on hand because they enable you to impart such a great charred, smoky flavor into and onto your food all year long. By simply setting your pan on top of your stove and allowing the heat from the flames (on a gas range) or even that from a ceramic cooktop, you can easily create a makeshift grill upon which you can cook such a wide variety of foods – regardless of what the weather outside may be.
As kitchen minimalists, we typically don’t love the idea of acquiring, and thus storing, an over-abundance of barely used kitchen accessories, equipment, and gadgetry – no thank you. But a great grill pan that fits your space and your needs (they come in many shapes and sizes) absolutely qualifies as a must-have item in the Kitchen Little arsenal. In this recipe, for example, we impart a wonderful smoky flavor into our squash salad by grilling not only the squash, but also the romaine, on our trusty grill pan.
Do you enjoy cooking on a grill pan? If so, what are some of your favorite ways to take it for a spin? We’ve got a great grilled pound cake recipe in mind that we’re getting ready to test for you soon, and you better believe our grill pan will be seeing some serious action when that time comes …
Grilled Summer Squash with Hazelnuts & Parmesan
We’ll use an indoor grill pan (one of our favorite tools) to impart smoky flavor to some summer squash – either zucchini or yellow squash – and we’ll dress it all up with some chopped hazelnuts and crunchy lettuces. A shower of shaved parmesan adds richness and saltiness to this perfect summery side/salad. I like to serve with a lemony Sriracha dressing on the side (directions below), but you can use whatever dressing you like or happen to have on hand.Â
Ingredients
2 squash, zucchini or yellow squash, sliced into 1/4″ pieces
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing and drizzling
Salt and pepper, as needed
1/4 wedge of romaine
1 cup shaved parmesan cheese (or as much as you like)
1/3 cup chopped and toasted hazelnuts
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Sriracha
Instructions
Place your grill pan on your stovetop and set your burner(s) to medium-high heat. Brush the pan with oil.
Arrange your squash slices on the grill pan, along with the romaine wedge, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the squash on both sides under dark grill marks appear and the flesh is nice and tender; about 5 minutes. Cook the romaine on each side until it begins to blacken and char; about 2 minutes per side. Just keep an eye on it and turn as needed. Transfer the squash to a large platter. Roughly chop the charred romaine and arrange it on the platter with the squash.
Scatter the parmesan and hazelnuts over the grilled veggies on the platter and serve with the lemony Sriracha dressing, if desired, or whatever dressing you like. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
For the dressing:
In a bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, mayo, Sriracha, and 1/3 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and adjust the amount of Amy ingredient to suit your preferences (more mayo if you like it thicker, more Sriracha if you like it spicier, etc.)
Notes
To toast your hazelnuts, add them to a small dry pan set over medium heat and toast, stirring occasionally, until you can smell them and they’ve adopted a bit of additional golden color; about 3 to 5 minutes. Just keep an eye on them, they burn quickly.Â
