This grilled zucchini and ricotta comes together in 25 minutes with a handful of ingredients you likely already have on hand. The ricotta goes on cold and creamy against the warm, lightly charred zucchini — that contrast is the whole point. It works as a side dish, a light lunch, or the kind of thing you make on Sunday and eat in different ways through the week.
Before you start
Two things make or break this recipe. First, dry your zucchini slices well before they hit the grill — zucchini holds a lot of water, and any surface moisture will steam the slices instead of searing them, so you lose the char and get soggy strips instead. Pat them with a paper towel after slicing. Second, use whole milk ricotta and give it a real whisk with the lemon and oil before you plate. Low-fat ricotta tends to be grainy and watery, and it won’t spread smoothly; the extra fat in whole milk ricotta is what makes the dollops hold their shape on the platter.
Troubleshooting
- Zucchini sticks to the grill pan: The pan wasn’t hot enough before you added the slices. Let it preheat for at least 2 minutes on medium-high before brushing with oil and adding the zucchini — a properly hot surface releases the slices cleanly.
- Grill marks are pale or nonexistent: The slices are too thick or the pan is crowded. Work in batches if needed, and keep slices to ¼ inch as the recipe specifies; thicker cuts take longer and tend to steam before they color.
- Ricotta mixture is runny: You added too much lemon juice or the ricotta itself was wet. Drain the ricotta in a fine mesh strainer for 10 minutes before whisking, especially if the container had visible liquid pooled at the top.
- Dish tastes flat: Salt the zucchini before grilling and taste the ricotta mixture before plating — it almost always needs more salt than you expect. A small pinch of flaky salt over the finished platter also sharpens every other flavor.
- Pine nuts burn before they toast: Skip the oven and toast them in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly — they go from pale to scorched in under a minute if you walk away.
Storage and reheating
Store grilled zucchini and the ricotta mixture separately in airtight containers in the fridge — they keep well for up to 3 days. Keeping them apart means the zucchini doesn’t weep into the ricotta overnight. The grilled zucchini is genuinely good cold, straight from the fridge, layered into a sandwich with some of the leftover ricotta spread on the bread — skip the garnish at that point, not worth the extra dish. If you want to serve it warm again, reheat the zucchini in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 90 seconds per side; the microwave works but makes it limp. The ricotta mixture is best used cold or at room temperature and doesn’t need reheating. Don’t freeze either component — ricotta separates when thawed and zucchini turns mushy.
Grilled Zucchini and Ricotta Salad
Equipment
- Grill pan or outdoor grill
- Mixing bowls
- Tongs
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick strips
- 1 cup ricotta cheese whole milk ricotta for a creamy texture
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat.
- Brush the zucchini slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Grill the zucchini for 2-3 minutes per side, until tender with visible grill marks. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Arrange the grilled zucchini slices on a serving platter.
- Dollop the ricotta mixture evenly over the zucchini slices.
- Sprinkle the fresh basil and toasted pine nuts over the top.
- Drizzle with additional olive oil if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
Chef’s Tips:
- For added depth of flavor, try adding a touch of balsamic glaze before serving.
- You can also substitute ricotta with creamy goat cheese for a tangier twist.
- If using an outdoor grill, ensure it’s preheated properly to prevent the zucchini from sticking.
- For extra crunch, swap pine nuts with crushed walnuts or almonds.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I make this without a grill pan, using a regular skillet?
Yes, a heavy skillet — cast iron works best — will give you a good sear even without grill marks. Get it very hot before adding the oiled zucchini slices, and press them lightly with a spatula to maximize contact with the pan.
Do I need to salt and drain the zucchini ahead of time?
Not for this recipe, since the slices go straight onto a hot grill and cook quickly. Salting and draining is more useful for recipes where zucchini cooks slowly or sits in a sauce — here, patting the slices dry before grilling is enough.
Can I use part-skim ricotta instead of whole milk?
You can, but the texture will be noticeably thinner and sometimes grainy. If whole milk ricotta isn’t available, drain part-skim ricotta through a fine mesh strainer for 15 minutes before using to improve the consistency.
How far ahead can I prep this for a dinner party?
Grill the zucchini and make the ricotta mixture up to a day in advance, storing them separately in the fridge. Assemble the platter right before serving — the zucchini can go on at room temperature, which actually tastes better than straight from the fridge.
My zucchini slices are different sizes — will they cook evenly?
Uneven slices mean some will be done before others, so sort them loosely by thickness and pull thinner pieces off the grill first. A consistent ¼-inch thickness from end to end is the easiest fix — a mandoline makes quick work of it if you have one.
What to cook next
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- Authentic Roman Carbonara
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