Italian-Style Fried Squash Recipe

When summer is approaching, you're sure to see large tables of zucchini and yellow squash front and center at your local grocery store and those who have gardens will be eagerly seeking out friends to share their harvest with. If you're looking for recipes to take advantage of the season look no further than this delicious recipe for Italian-style fried squash.

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "Growing up in an Italian family I was exposed to fried squash early on. My mother had a huge garden and when the weather was heating up, we were sure to have lots of creative squash recipes including fried squash. The nice thing about this recipe is you can use yellow squash or zucchini, or you can use a mix of both. I like serving it with a simple marinara sauce but it also pairs well with a homemade ranch dressing or any other creamy dip."

To make this recipe, we'll need the star of the show, some yellow squash. "I usually try to pick ones that are as straight as possible versus the ones that have a hook-type shape as it just makes for easy cutting," Hahn shares. Then we'll need some eggs, milk, flour, oil and some basic seasonings — Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. "If you want to use individual spices instead of Italian seasoning, just use equal parts of basil, thyme, and oregano. And if you prefer to eat dairy-free, any plant-based milk will work just fine," Hahn explains. Then you'll want to pick up your dipping sauce and fresh basil if you want to brighten up the finished slices on your serving tray.

Once the squash is washed, dry it well and then slice it into ¼-inch pieces. Since they tend to carry a lot of water, place the rounds on a clean tea towel or paper towels and pat them dry with a second layer of paper towels to soak up any extra water.

Pull out two shallow bowls. Mix together the eggs and milk in one bowl and the flour, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper in the other bowl. Then go ahead and dip each squash slice into the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture. "I usually lays these out on parchment paper in a single layer as I finish dredging each squash piece," Hahn remarks.

Now add the oil to a heavy frying pan or cast-iron skillet and bring the heat to medium high. Once it is hot, lay in as many squash slices as will fit. You will have to work in batches. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, then set on paper towels to dry. "The first batch usually takes a little longer because the pan isn't as hot. Once you get going the cooking time per side should be a little shorter," Hahn explains. Now you are ready to transfer the squash to a serving platter, add your sauce of choice and top with fresh basil if desired. If you're sticking with an Italian theme for an entree, this baked spaghetti is a nice pairing. Now you know what to do with summertime squash when you see it overflowing at the store or in your garden!