Marry Me Zucchini

Zucchini gets the most delicious transformation with the biggest trend in our Marry Me Zucchini. Humble zucchini is transformed into the star of this hearty dish. The sauce is a nutritious mix of antioxidant-rich shallots and garlic, studded with chewy and sweet sun-dried tomatoes. The cream cheese adds the perfect amount of tang and melts beautifully into the silky cream. The herb choices in this dish bring it to life with herbaceous Italian seasoning, smoky paprika and a kick from the crushed red pepper, and the fresh basil is the final hit of brightness. Top it with grated Parmesan cheese for umami, and this is a side dish for any night of the week. Keep reading for our expert tips on zucchini prep, why you should get your cream cheese out early and more. 

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• If you’re looking to keep this dish vegetarian, simply skip the Parmesan, as it’s made using animal rennet. You can find some tasty plant-based cheese options at your local grocery store.
• Salting and browning the zucchini is key—it helps prevent moisture from watering down the sauce, and the browning amps up the flavor.
• It’s best to use room-temperature cream cheese because it melts nicely, but if you forget to take it out of the fridge ahead of time, cold cream cheese should still work.
• For extra flavor, add a splash of dry white wine and let it reduce at the end of Step 3.

Nutrition Notes

• Zucchini has become more popular over the years with the advent of the zoodle, but this nutritious squash has a lot going for it. It is low in calories and carbohydrates and has a neutral flavor, so that makes it an ideal vegetable for many diet patterns. It’s high in vitamin C and carotenoids—antioxidants that are essential for maintaining good skin health. They also pack a lot of water, so they are a hydrating vegetable—perfect for the summer months. 
• Sun-dried tomatoes are typically made from Roma tomatoes, which have a low water content. You’ll typically find them dried or packed in oil. Sun-dried tomatoes are rich in an antioxidant called lycopene, which has been studied for its role in reducing the risk of cancer, reducing inflammation and improving heart health. 
• If you can incorporate garlic in a meal every day, you’ll reap the health benefits. Garlic contains a compound called allicin that is activated when the garlic is chopped or crushed. This compound can help reduce inflammation. Eating garlic regularly may also help with blood pressure regulation and lower harmful cholesterol levels.