--- title: "Zucchini: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Zucchini is a mild green summer squash, tender enough to eat raw and quick to cook. In the UK, Ireland and France it is called courgette." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/zucchini" --- # Zucchini Zucchini is a mild green summer squash, tender enough to eat raw and quick to cook. In the UK, Ireland and France it is called courgette. Also called Courgette, Zucchina, Baby marrow. Zucchini is a long, green summer squash with soft skin, pale flesh and a mild, slightly sweet taste. It is picked young, so the seeds are small and you can eat the whole thing, skin and all. It is grilled, roasted, sautéed, grated into fritters and cakes, cut into noodles, and cooked in stews such as [ratatouille](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ratatouille). It is mostly water, so it softens quickly. ## How to do it 1. Wash and trim both ends. There is no need to peel it. 2. Slice into rounds, half-moons or long strips, or grate it. 3. To [sauté](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/saute), cook in a hot pan with a little oil for 4 to 6 minutes, without crowding, until golden at the edges. 4. To [grill](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/grill), cut lengthwise into 1 cm (½ inch) slices, brush with oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side over high heat. ## How to tell it is done Cooked zucchini is tender with a little bite left and browned in spots. If it is soft all the way through and watery, it has gone too far. ## How to use it The same vegetable has different names: * Zucchini in the US, Canada and Australia, from the Italian. * Courgette in the UK, Ireland, France and New Zealand. * _Zucchina_ in Italy, plural _zucchine_. * Baby marrow in South Africa. * _Zucchini_ in Sweden and Germany too. In the US, summer squash is the wider group that includes zucchini and yellow squash. A marrow, in the UK, is a zucchini that has been left to grow large. It is watery with big seeds and is usually stuffed and baked. Grated zucchini holds a lot of water. For [fritters](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/fritter), muffins or cakes, salt it lightly, leave it 10 minutes in a colander, then squeeze it hard in a clean towel. For noodles, [spiralize](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/spiralize) it and cook for only a minute, or serve it raw. ## How to store it Keep zucchini unwashed in the fridge drawer and use within 4 to 5 days. Choose small to medium ones, about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) long, with firm, shiny skin. Larger ones are seedier and more watery. ## Common mistakes * Crowding the pan. It steams and turns soggy instead of browning. * Salting too early when you sauté it. It releases water into the pan. Salt at the end. * Skipping the squeeze for grated zucchini. Fritters fall apart and bakes turn soggy. ## In recipes You will see "2 medium zucchini, sliced", "1 courgette, grated" and "zucchini noodles". The flowers are also eaten, often stuffed and fried. ## Recipes that use it 127 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Summer-Pasta-Salad-with-Zucchini-and-Corn.jpg)Warm Pasta Salad with Corn and Zucchiniwww.skinnytaste.com · 35 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/warm-pasta-salad-with-corn-and-zucchini/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Cheesy-Stuffed-Chicken-Breast-with-Zucchini-8.jpg)Cheesy Stuffed Chicken Breast with Zucchiniwww.skinnytaste.com · 35 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/cheesy-stuffed-chicken-breast-with-zucchini/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Sheetpan-Italian-Chicken-and-Veggie-Dinner-2.jpg)Sheet Pan Italian Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs and Veggieswww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/sheetpan-italian-chicken-and-veggie-dinner/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/Turkey-Stuffed-Zucchini-11-scaled.jpg)Turkey Stuffed Zucchiniwww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/turkey-stuffed-zucchini-4-pts/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chicken-and-zucchini-yakitori.jpg)Chicken and Zucchini Yakitoriwww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/grilled-chicken-and-zucchini-yakitori/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Sausage-stuffed-zucchini-parmesan.jpg)Stuffed Zucchini Boats With Sausagewww.skinnytaste.com · 70 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/sausage-stuffed-zucchini-boats/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Colombian-Style-Zucchini-Relleno-1-3.jpg)Colombian-Style Zucchini Rellenoswww.skinnytaste.com · 40 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/colombian-style-zucchini-rellenos/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Air-Fryer-Turkey-Meatloaf-6-scaled.jpg)Air Fryer Turkey Meatloafwww.skinnytaste.com · 35 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/air-fryer-turkey-meatloaf/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Turkey-Meatloaf-with-Zucchini-5.jpg)Turkey Meatloaf with Zucchiniwww.skinnytaste.com · 70 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/turkey-meatloaf-with-zucchini/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Vodka-Sauce-Penne-with-Chicken-9.jpg)Penne alla Vodka with Chickenwww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/penne-alla-vodka-with-chicken/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Three-Cheese-zucchini-stuffed-lasagna-rolls.jpg)Three Cheese Zucchini Stuffed Lasagna Rollswww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/three-cheese-zucchini-stuffed-lasagna/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/spaghetti-squash-primavera.jpg)Spaghetti Squash Primaverawww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/spaghetti-squash-primavera/) ## Related terms * [RatatouilleRatatouille is a Provençal stew of eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion and tomato cooked in olive oil. See why each vegetable is cooked on its own.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ratatouille) * [FritterA fritter is a piece of food dipped in batter, or mixed into it, and deep- or shallow-fried until crisp. See the oil heat and how to avoid greasy ones.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/fritter) * [SpiralizeTo spiralize is to cut vegetables or fruit into long, curly strands with a spiral slicer, often to make zucchini noodles or sweet potato spirals.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/spiralize) * [SautéTo sauté is to cook small pieces of food quickly in a little hot fat over fairly high heat, tossing or stirring so they brown lightly and cook evenly.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/saute) * [GrillGrilling cooks food on a grate over direct, high heat from charcoal, gas or wood. It gives a browned, smoky crust and those dark stripes in minutes.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/grill) [More in regional names](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/regional-names)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)