Grilled Zucchini With Caper Sauce Recipe

Grilled zucchini takes on a delightful twist when paired with a warm caper sauce, a concoction that draws inspiration from the Italian bagna cauda. While traditional bagna cauda is a blended, silky amalgamation of ingredients, this caper sauce takes the traditional flavors in a new direction. Instead of a smooth blend, it uses a rough-chopped aesthetic, allowing each ingredient to maintain its distinct texture and personality. The sauce's components, particularly the capers, evoke a bright and zesty profile, standing in delightful contrast to the deep, earthy flavors often associated with grilled zucchini. 

Together, they capture the essence of summer on a plate: fresh, vibrant, and evoking sun-soaked Italian afternoons. The pairing is a testament to how culinary inspirations can be innovatively tweaked, resulting in dishes that resonate with both familiarity and novelty. 

Recipe developer Taylor Murray guides us through this simple way to eat zucchini, just in time to use up that bumper crop of summer squash.

Start with your star ingredient, the zucchini. Choose zucchini that is firm with a dark green skin. Summer is the best time to buy zucchini as that is when it is in season and likely to have the most flavor. 

For the caper sauce, you'll need capers in brine, drained of their liquid. You'll also need some canned anchovies, a fresh lemon, a clove of garlic, and some fresh Italian parsley. Cooking the zucchini and making the sauce will both require some good-quality olive oil. When choosing olive oil for cooking, prioritize its type, freshness indicated by the harvest date, packaging that protects it from light, and opt for reputable brands or certifications that guarantee authenticity and quality.

Grilling zucchini is an easy and quick way to cook this summer squash. Begin by washing the zucchini and slicing it in half lengthwise. Once sliced, brush the zucchini with olive oil. After preheating your grill to medium-high heat, lay the zucchini slices directly on the hot grill grates. Allow them to grill for about 3-4 minutes on each side until they have nice grill marks and reach a tender consistency without turning mushy. Once perfectly grilled, remove the zucchini and transfer to a plate. It's essential to keep a vigilant eye on the zucchini during grilling because the pieces can cook and char swiftly.

Grab a small pan and pour in the remaining olive oil. Toss in the capers for a nice salty kick, anchovies for some savory goodness, garlic for that classic flavor, and lemon zest to brighten everything up. Turn on the heat and keep an eye on it — you're just looking for a little simmer. Once things start bubbling a tiny bit, turn off the heat. You don't want to burn anything, especially not that garlic. Let it cool off for a bit, then stir in the parsley.

Drizzle the zucchini all over with the warm caper sauce. Serve the zucchini immediately. This dish is a nice side to serve at a barbecue or to go with a simple weeknight meal. This dish also goes well with grilled fish or roasted chicken. If not serving right away, keep the sauce on the side. Warm it up and drizzle it on just before serving. The acidity in the sauce can discolor the zucchini if not eaten right away.