Sauteed Zucchini and Squash with Bacon

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Have an abundance of zucchini and squash in your garden?   Saute zucchini and squash with bacon and toss with a lemon butter sauce for a tasty vegetable side dish.

I don’t know about you but there always seems to be a ton of zucchini and squash around in the summer.   Whether it’s from my own garden, at the farmer’s market, or it comes from friends, I seem to have both around all summer long.

One of my favorite things to do with zucchini is to bake it into bread or muffins.  These sweet Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins are a favorite of my co-workers.  I personally love Blueberry Zucchini Bread for breakfast or a snack.

But sometimes I get tired of making baked goods out of zucchini.  That’s why I decided to find a recipe that could use my zucchini and squash in some type of a side dish.

Since it’s summer I didn’t really want to bake anything in the oven.  I prefer to cook on the stove top so I don’t have to heat up the whole house.

I found a recipe for sauteed zucchini and squash that looked pretty tasty.  As a bonus it also had bacon in it so I knew my husband would be happy!

Ingredients:

• bacon (use your favorite type as this will add a salty and smokey flavor to your side dish)
• zucchini (a nice medium sized one will be perfect in this recipe)
• yellow squash (again you are looking for a medium sized one)
• onion (I prefer a sweeter onion in this recipe to balance the saltiness)
• garlic cloves
• butter (Because of the saltiness in the bacon I usually go with unsalted butter)
• lemon juice (fresh is best but bottled will work)
• salt and pepper

Making this side dish is fairly easy.  I always start by cutting the zucchini and squash.  You can do this with a knife or by using a mandolin.

What is a Mandolin?

It is a slicing tool used for cutting fruits and vegetables with precision. It consists of a flat surface with an adjustable blade and sometimes a hand guard to protect your fingers. The adjustable blade allows for different thickness settings, enabling the user to achieve uniform slices. It’s great when cutting many things of the same size.

One the vegetables are cut cook the bacon in a large saute pan until browned.   Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.  Crumble.

Next, add the zucchini, squash, and onions to the pan with the drippings and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add in the garlic, lemon juice, butter, salt, and black pepper.

Do I have to use both Zucchini and Squash?

No you don’t have too but it makes for a more colorful side dish.  You can use just zucchini or just yellow squash in this dish.  If you have some pattypan squash you can add that into the dish as well as it will cook up similarly to the zucchini and yellow squash.

Cook for several minutes or until the vegetables have softened.   Remove from heat and add the crumbled bacon.

This side dish is great because it only takes about 15 minutes to make.   It’s simple but delicious and perfect for the summer.

Can I add in extra vegetables?

You can add in extra vegetables but keep in mind that will change the flavor of this side dish.  Mild vegetables would be best added.  Eggplant, peppers, or summer squash can be added without changing the flavor profile or cooking time too much.

I like how light this side dish is.   The lemon really brightens up the butter flavor.  The bacon adds a crunch and saltiness.  The entire side dish works well with grilled meat or lighter dinners in the summer.

If sauteed zucchini and squash isn’t your thing I have several other tasty zucchini dishes that we make quite frequently.   Greek Zucchini Fritters can be made as a side dish or a summer appetizer.  My Easy Zucchini Casserole with feta is great when you need a baked side dish.  One of my all time most popular recipes are these Healthy Zucchini Muffins for babies and toddlers.

Sauteed Zucchini and Squash with Bacon

Have an abundance of zucchini and squash in your garden?   Saute zucchini and squash with bacon and toss with a lemon butter sauce for a tasty vegetable side dish.

5 from 5 votes

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Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 125kcal

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 medium skillet

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon
• 1 medium zucchini cut in half lengthwise then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow squash cut in half lengthwise then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 small onion cut into thin slices
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, flipping once, until both sides are browned. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. Crumble.
• Add the zucchini, squash, and onions to the pan with the bacon drippings. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
• Add in the garlic, butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted.
• Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes or until the vegetables are translucent.
• Remove from heat and stir in crumbled bacon.

Notes

Recipes adapted from Family Around the Table

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 724mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

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