I have a confession to make: I don't like zucchini much. It's watery and bland and requires a lot of salt, oil, bread crumbs or cheese to make it interesting.
But a few years ago, I found a way to make it more palatable: Draw out the moisture. By sprinkling the cut vegetable with salt and letting it stand in a colander over the sink, water will drip out, leaving behind a firmer vegetable.
The zucchini can then be more easily sauteed or roasted to bring out its natural sugars and, hence, flavor. From there, the sky is the limit as to how you can use it.
I think it's great in pasta salad or a light version of pasta primavera. I serve it as a side dish sprinkled with fresh herbs. And it's great as part of an omelet.
Below is a wonderfully unusual take on omelets based on a recipe from The Working Cook by Tara Duggan. The zucchini is mixed with eggs and cooked pasta -- yes, pasta -- then cooked in a skillet and finished under the broiler. The result is a delicious all-in-one dinner that is a great way to use up leftover pasta -- and the zucchinis hanging out in your vegetable bin.
robin.davis@dispatch.com
