Creamed Zucchini with Garlic & Basil
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Made simply with grated zucchini, butter and cream, this creamed zucchini makes an easy and elegant summer dish.
This rich yet delicate creamed zucchini is easy to make. You simply sauté grated zucchini and garlic in butter, then finish it off with a touch of heavy cream and fresh basil. The zucchini gets tender and creamy, almost melting into a purée. Try it with baked or grilled fish or roast chicken — and put the recipe in your entertaining file because you can make it ahead of time.
What you’ll need to make Creamed Zucchini
How to make creamed zucchini
Begin by grating the zucchini. You can do this by hand with a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the shredding disk.
Transfer the zucchini to a clean kitchen towel.
Wring out all of the excess water.
Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the zucchini and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is tender.
Add the heavy cream.
Then stir in the basil, salt and pepper and simmer until all of the cream is absorbed.
Serve and enjoy.
This recipe was inspired by a Creamed Zucchini with Herbs recipe from Cook’s Illustrated.
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Creamed Zucchini with Garlic & Basil
Made simply with grated zucchini, butter and cream, this creamed zucchini makes an easy and elegant summer dish.
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds zucchini (preferably smaller zucchini, as they are less watery)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini by hand with a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the shredding disk. Wrap the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much excess water as possible. Repeat a few times, replacing the towel if necessary.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shredded zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is tender, about 6 minutes. Turn the heat down to low; add the heavy cream, salt, pepper and basil and simmer until the cream is absorbed. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve warm.
- Make Ahead Instructions: The whole recipe ahead of time. Just cover and refrigerate. You can reheat it in the microwave right before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 179
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Sugar: 5g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Sodium: 461mg
- Cholesterol: 49mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I made this last night and really liked it. I thought it was missing a little something when I tasted it so I added 1/8 tsp or so of nutmeg and that made it out of this world!!
Just made this tonight. I’m trying to eat paleo so instead of using heavy cream I used a small can of coconut cream and really made sure I squeezed as much liquid out of the squash as possible. This has a really nice flavor and the texture was nice too.
Absolutely fantastic. I love zucchini and I love this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes.
I made this recipe last week and felt that it was a bit bland. The texture was good and the recipe was easy to follow. We did add a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano that was left over from the Grilled Pesto Shrimp recipe (which was wonderful) but my family felt it still lacked something.
Hi April, Sorry you found the dish a bit bland. Did you squeeze all the water out of the zucchini? That could be the cause — although it is a delicately flavored dish. For bolder flavor, you might like my Zucchini Noodles with Pesto: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/zucchini-noodles-with-pesto-pine-nuts.html
This recipe is fabulous. It is amazing how easy it was to prepare. And it makes me feel great adding more summer vegetables to my families diet. I love recipes that can be used for more then 1 meal. Next time I will add my leftover creamed zucchini to a pasta dish like lasagna roll ups, manicotti, or stuffed shells. Great budget stretcher as well!
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I just made this and couldn’t be happier (maybe if I had more basil on hand, but I can’t complain). I used a combination zucchini/summer squash and it turned out great. Definitely in our summer sides rotation!
Yummy ! I made it with grill chicken & corn bread & my family loved it. Can anyone suggest what I can replace the heavy cream with to make vegan friendly ?
Hi Carrie, You can just leave out the cream; won’t be quite as rich but it will still be delicious. Would also be wonderful with olive oil instead of butter.
I made this last night and it received rave reviews! Thank you so much, Jenn! I made it earlier in the day and then just heated it on the stovetop. It’s so easy and delicious.
I made the Black Bean Salad with the Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette yesterday and am excited to try it today. Thanks for the awesome recipes…this is my new favorite site!
Sorry to be so literal, but how would you prepare this ahead of time? Thanks!
Hi Sally, You can make the whole recipe ahead of time, then just cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. You can reheat it in the microwave. Please let me know how it turns out!