Clean Eating Roasted Summer Squash Recipe (2024)

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Roasted squash is a delicious way to get more veggies in your day! This summer squash recipe makes the perfect summer side dish!

This roasted squash is obviously one of your favorite summer squash recipes. It’s been the most popular recipe on this site, in 8 years of blogging!

Clean Eating Roasted Summer Squash Recipe (1)

You guys seriously love roasted squash recipes enough that I’m going to share this recipe for roasted summer squash, plus 5 more of my favorite ways to enjoy squash.

You see, I love summer for two reasons only. The fruits and the vegetables. At no other time of the year do you get as large an assortment of fabulously fresh, juicy, and succulent produce, especially here in California.

I know how spoiled I am in this state when it comes to fresh produce. Every time I walk into the grocery store I’m reminded of this fact. The produce section seems to overflow with vibrant colors in every direction.

As I walk through the rainbow of produce, I get truly inspired to create something amazing in the kitchen for dinner. No other place on earth gives me more inspiration for the recipes you find on this blog than my local produce department in summer.

Summer Squash Recipes

I have to admit that I hate turning on the oven as much as the next person, especially during the warmer months of the year. But my favorite way to prepare just about any vegetable during the summer is to roast them. I just can’t help myself. (Although, this could also be done on the barbecue).

Inevitably, I end up turning on the oven, again and again, to enjoy, in particular, the wonderful array of summer squashes.

Varieties of Summer Squash

There are so many varieties of fresh produce available between summer and fall! Everything from yellow crooknecks, to green or yellow patty pan squash to the harder squashes of autumn.

Squash of any kind is so incredibly healthy too! But during the summer months, there are two types of squash that I love to enjoy. In fact, I will often plant them in my garden just to ensure I have a steady supply through the warmer months.

My two favorites are zucchini and yellow squash. I just can’t seem to get enough of them. Roast and serve them together, and I can pretty much survive on roasted squash alone during the summer.

They pair nicely with just about any protein too, but my favorite combo is with chicken. Especially if it’s barbecued chicken! Squash and chicken were simply born to be together… on my dinner plate.

Clean Eating Roasted Summer Squash Recipe (2)

How to cook and serve summer roasted squash:

If you are vegetarian, this Clean Eating Roasted Summer Squash recipe will also pair really well with some brown rice and beans, or quinoa and a green salad! But no matter what you serve it with, I’d be willing to bet you’ll make this again and again for many years to come.

If you want to make this on the barbecue, you can simply place the cookie sheets on your grill and cook. I do not recommend placing these directly on your grill simply because the cheese will melt all over the place and you’ll be left with a mess.

You can use the cookie sheets and still enjoy that smoky flavor that comes from grilling because the smoke will help flavor the squash. Just watch this carefully because of the oil. You don’t want to set the whole cookie sheet on fire!

Keep your heat low to medium and flip occasionally just to ensure even cooking. The flavor is worth the extra effort!

Recipe Tools

If you don’t yet have a Misto oil sprayerClean Eating Roasted Summer Squash Recipe (3)(affiliate link), I highly recommend it. I was not paid to promote this. It’s simply a tool I have in my own kitchen that I use on a regular basis. Can’t live without mine!! It’s a great way to get even oil coverage without overdoing the fat.

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More Roasted Squash Recipes

  • Skillet Summer Squash
  • Crookneck Squash Soup
  • Healthy Summer Squash Scramble
  • BBQ Herb Roasted Squash

How To Make Roasted Squash

Clean Eating Roasted Summer Squash Recipe (5)

Roasted Summer Squash

One of my all-time most popular summer squash recipes, this delicious roasted squash is sure to become a family favorite.

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 servings (approximate)

Calories: 78kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 large zucchini (store large, not home garden large)
  • 2 large yellow squash (crookneck)
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. black pepper, ground
  • olive oil in an oil sprayer (see link above)
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Chop your squash into large, chunky slices about ½ to ¾ inch thickness.

  • Spray a cookie sheet with a light coat of olive oil.

  • Line up your squash slices like little soldiers. Don’t worry about leaving any space between them. They’ll cook just fine scrunched together.

  • Spray a very light coat of olive oil over the top of the squash.

  • Sprinkle your spices, including the parmesan over the squash.

  • Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes, or until they have a very light golden hue to them, and you can easily push a fork through them.

  • Allow to cool slightly and serve.

Notes

The data below is a ballpark figure. Exact nutrition data is not possible. This data does not include oil in oil sprayer.

  • Please note: Measurements for this recipe are approximate. Feel free to adjust amounts to your liking (Personally,I never measure when I’m making this dish).

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 863mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 680IU | Vitamin C: 56.8mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 1.4mg

From the Gracious Pantry archives: Recipe originally posted 5/31/10.

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Clean Eating Roasted Summer Squash Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to eat summer squash? ›

Boiled summer squash is a quick and flavorful addition to soups, stir-fries, and pasta entrées. In just a few minutes, the squash is tender and ready to blend into a soup, toss into a wok, or fold into a bowl of pasta.

How healthy is summer squash? ›

Nutrition and Health Benefits of Summer Squash

Summer squash is a good source of vitamin B6, which helps maintain skin health and red blood cells. Summer squash is a great source of vitamin C, which helps heal cuts and wounds. The rinds are rich in beta-carotene, which helps eye health.

Are you supposed to peel summer squash before cooking? ›

Yellow squash does not need to be peeled, because the skin is so tender and thin. If you do prefer to peel your squash, peel it just like you would a carrot or a potato.

Can you eat the whole summer squash? ›

Summer squash is harvested when tender and still immature. The skin is very soft and seeds and skin are typically edible if squash is not over mature. They are usually separated into straight or crookneck varieties, with patty pan, zucchini, and yellow crook neck the most popular.

What is the healthiest way to eat squash? ›

You can bake or roast it in your oven and top it off with either savory or sweet seasonings. Cinnamon can add sweetness to acorn squash while still being nutritious – or even dessert. You can even eat the skin for added fiber.

Is summer squash good for inflammation? ›

Anti-inflammatory Capacity

Although anti-inflammatory effects can certainly extend to arthritis and gout, studies on squash have specifically linked its impact to reducing gastric and duodenal ulcer reduction, as well as to general anti-inflammation of the cardiovascularsystem.

What is the disadvantage of summer squash? ›

Disadvantage: summer squash retains a lot of water so you are using up space in your freezer; when thawed the zucchini will be mushy so don't plan on sauteeing or using in a recipe that will be affected by the extra liquid.

Which is healthier zucchini or summer squash? ›

Is yellow squash as nutritious as zucchini? The two are very similar in terms of their nutrition content and health perks. For example, both are about 95% water, making them low in both calories and carbs, and are decent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber.

Is summer squash good for kidneys? ›

Squash can be a good choice for many peritoneal and home hemodialysis patients when you may need to eat more potassium rich foods. Eating squash will not have an effect on forming kidney stones. The National Kidney Foundation wishes to thank its Council on Renal Nutrition (CRN) for the development of this fact sheet.

Can you eat summer squash raw? ›

Summer squash are a little different. The seeds and skin are soft and fully edible. They are sometimes referred to as “soft shell squash” and as such, can be cooked or eaten raw. The entire squash is edible, versus the winter squash's hard seeds and shell that needs to be removed.

What is the season for squash? ›

Summer squash, despite the name, is generally available year-round; varieties include zucchini, yellow, pattypan and crookneck. Common winter squash, such as butternut and spaghetti, are also available year-round, but other varieties, such as turban and fairytale, typically peak November to December.

What can I do with too much summer squash? ›

At the end of the day, you may find yourself with way too much squash. The good news is you can always freeze your summer squash or make a batch or two of homemade zucchini bread.

Is there a difference between yellow squash and summer squash? ›

The difference in color is the only discernable difference. Green and yellow zucchini, crookneck and papaya pear (yellow) squash, Mediterranean pale green squash and marrows, and pale green, white or yellow pattypan squash are all summer squash, so-called because they're only harvested in a brief Summer season.

Should summer squash be refrigerated? ›

You should store summer squash (like zucchini) in the fridge, but thick-skinned squash like acorn, butternut, or kabocha should stay at room temperature. This is partially to preserve their texture, but it's mostly because squash tend to take up a lot of real estate in the drawers and on the shelves of your fridge.

Are you supposed to eat the skin of yellow squash? ›

The peel is edible and mild. Squash can be eaten raw or cooked. Try yellow squash: Baked into your favorite desserts for extra moisture.

Is summer squash better raw or cooked? ›

And that's a good thing, since cooked squash is incredibly more nutritious (this includes all kinds of squash, like zucchini and acorn), says Bazilian. Pumpkins, like carrots, are rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene, which are much easier to absorb once they have been heated.

How do you eat yellow summer squash? ›

Grilled Yellow Squash: This recipe is a simple and easy way to prepare yellow squash, which is sliced and grilled with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Yellow Squash Soup: This recipe is a creamy, comforting soup made with yellow squash, onion, garlic, and chicken or vegetable broth.

Do you eat the skin of summer squash? ›

In fact, squash peel is completely edible. All of it. It's actually very nutritious too, with plenty of fibre and a rich source of vitamin A. Of course, 'edible' simply means that eating it isn't dangerous, and it doesn't necessarily follow that it will be pleasant to eat.

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