This zucchini fried rice, with garlic, Parmesan, tomatoes, and thyme, is a deliciously Italian-ish take on fried rice.
This zucchini fried rice makes the most of the bounty of summer squash that is available this time of year.
I've included some of our home grown "green griller" zucchini along with yellow summer squash in this stir-fry, but any summer squash will work with this recipe.
The recipe takes the techniques from wok cooking and making Chinese-style fried rice, and translates them into an Italian-style side dish.
A Few Tips for Fried-Rice Success:
Use cooked day-old rice. Just-cooked rice is too moist and may result in rice that sticks together. The texture you will get from cold, cooked rice will be much better.
If you are in a pinch and need to use the rice the same day, cook it, fluff it, spread it out onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate it for at least two hours.
Make sure your wok is hot enough so that the rice sizzles as you cook it. You definitely want some crispy bits of rice!
Finally, as you season this stir-fry throughout the cooking process, be sure to evenly distribute the seasonings over the dish before stirring.
Practice mis en place. Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go. Stir frying moves fairly quickly, so you want to be ready.
While I love stir-frying with my wok, if you don't have one, a large skillet will work for this recipe too.
Ingredients You will Need (Shopping List):
Neutral oil such us peanut or canola oil.
Large yellow or brown onion.
Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. The more you season between steps, the tastier this stir-fry will be.
One pound of summer squash, at least 50% zucchini.
Minced garlic.
Dried thyme.
Cherry or grape tomatoes.
Pre-cooked day-old rice. I used jasmine rice.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Chopped parsley.
2 large eggs.
How to Make this Zucchini Fried Rice:
Step 1:
The first step is to make the egg "pancake." Heat and oil your wok and then spread the egg over the bottom of the wok and let cook briefly before stirring and flipping until just barely cooked through, a minute or two. Lift the egg onto a plate and cut it into small squares and set aside.
Step 2:
Cook the onion in hot oil for about four minutes, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, cook for one minute, and then scrape everything onto a plate or a bowl and set aside.
Step 3:
Next, add more oil to the hot wok and add the zucchini, season it with salt and pepper, and cook without stirring for 3 to 5 minutes while seasoning it with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and stir and flip and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more and then scrape everything onto the same plate with the onions.
Step 4:
Heat another tablespoon of oil to the wok and add the rice. Spread the rice out over the surface of the wok and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, undisturbed, for about 5 to 7 minutes and then stir for a minute or two. Press the rice back onto the wok and cook, undisturbed for a few more minutes.
Sprinkle in half of the parmesan and parsley.
Step 5:
Add the vegetables and egg back to the wok and cook, stirring, for one more minute. Sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan and fresh parsley.
This zucchini fried rice is delicious the day that it is made, and the leftovers are pretty delicious too.
I really enjoyed using stir-frying techniques with this zucchini and rice dish. The combination of flavors is pretty amazing. The trick is to season generously with salt and pepper as you go... everytime you add an ingredient.
This dish is delicious with any protein or as a meal in itself with a salad and a loaf of crusty bread.
This month's Foodie Extravaganza group is celebrating National Zucchini Day. This is the perfect time of year for a zucchini celebration, right? Our host kitchen is Pandamonium Noshery.
Be sure to check out everyone's zucchini recipes:
- Hummus Bar Style Zucchini Topped Hummus by Pandemonium Noshery
- Keto Beef Mince with Broccoli and Zucchini by Sneha's Recipe
- Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin by Food Lust People Love
- Zucchini Agrodolce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Zucchini Fried Rice by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Zucchini Kofta Curry by Magical Ingredients
Zucchini Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil such as peanut or canola oil, divided
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1 large yellow or brown onion, peeled and cut into a 1/2 inch dice
- Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste as you go
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 pound zucchini, diced
- 1/2 pound summer squash, diced
- 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 1/2 cups cooked day old rice
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Large handful of chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat your wok over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Swirl in the eggs to spread them thinly over the wok and cook, undisturbed, for one minute. Stir and flip the eggs until just barely cooked through. Remove them to a plate and cut them into 1 inch squares. Set aside.
- Swirl in another tablespoon of oil and heat through. Add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, for about four minutes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, cook for one minute, and then scrape everything onto a plate or a bowl and set aside.
- Swirl in another tablespoon of oil and heat through. Add the squash, season it with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper, spread it into a single layer over the wok, and cook without stirring for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme, stir and flip the squash, and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, more salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Scrape everything onto the same plate with the onions.
- Heat another tablespoon of oil to the wok and add the rice. Spread the rice out over the surface of the wok and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, undisturbed, for about 5 to 7 minutes and then stir for a minute or two. Press the rice back onto the wok and cook, undisturbed for a few more minutes. Sprinkle in half of the parmesan and chopped parsley and stir.
- Add the vegetables and eggs back into the wok and stir fry for one more minute. Sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan and parsley. Add salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
337.62Fat (grams)
10.54Sat. Fat (grams)
2.03Carbs (grams)
51.42Fiber (grams)
1.9Net carbs
49.54Sugar (grams)
2.53Protein (grams)
8.61Sodium (milligrams)
138.59Cholesterol (grams)
51.94Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
Sounds like a delicious way to use up some of that summer bounty
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect summer meal!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great flavorful summer meal! We love to make a vegetarian version of this fried rice as this is a great way to use the zucchini from my backyard.
ReplyDeleteThanks! You could easily change the cheese and omit the egg to make it vegitarian. It's a great twist on fried rice!
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