An easy, healthy and flavorful dish that can be served as a main course (with or without pasta added), or side dish. Stewed zucchini with potatoes and peas, just a few simple ingredients that you probably have on hand, are elevated by the addition of garlic, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil at the end of cooking.
Stewed zucchini with potatoes and peas is an easy, one pan dish that you can prepare in about 30 minutes with just a handful of ingredients.
Full of flavor and healthy, this Italian zucchini recipe can be enjoyed year round but I am especially looking forward to trying it this summer with zucchini from my garden.
Serve this zucchini and potato recipe with peas as a vegetarian main dish with fresh crusty bread or even as a side dish. You can also stir in some pasta, that you’ve cooked separately, and enjoy as a vegetable soup!
My mother described this zucchini stew with so much enthusiasm and longing, like it was one of the best dishes she has ever tasted. Something she must have often prepared when I was growing up but I stayed away from due to my eversion to green vegetables.
And when I took my first bite, I understood what she meant!
Here’s why you need to try this stewed zucchini recipe!
The flavor in this recipe is all about the ingredients you add at the end of cooking.
My mother almost always added her garlic, fresh herbs as well as an extra drizzle of olive oil at the end of cooking and that makes all the difference.
If you add the minced garlic at the beginning along with the onion, the flavor gets lost. Instead, stir it in in the last minute or two of cooking and you’ll taste the garlic, however not overly pungent.
Luckily, fresh basil can be found year round in grocery stores and this ingredient is a must in this recipe. If you happen to have basil leaves from your garden that you froze last summer, you can definitely use those instead.
Ingredient list
- Zucchini
- Potatoes
- Peas
- Onion
- Garlic
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Salt
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: slice zucchini into 1/4 inch half rounds; dice onion, cube potatoes.
- In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion for 2 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, potatoes and peas as well as a pinch of salt. Stir all ingredients together.
- Pour enough water to cover, but not completely submerge the vegetables. I added 1 1/4 cups water.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and cook 10 minutes longer.
- In the last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in the minced garlic.
- Turn off the heat, adjust seasoning if needed, stir in basil leaves and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
- Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
-If you want to add a bit of color to this recipe, stir in a chopped tomato or two.
–Vary the vegetables according to what you have on hand such as green beans or asparagus.
-Fresh chopped parsley may also be added at the end of cooking.
-Cook any short length pasta of your choice, such as ditali, tubettini or small shells, and add to the vegetables at the end of cooking for a simple vegetable soup.
-This recipe serves 2 as a main dish or 4 servings as a side dish.
-Cook small pasta separately and toss in at the end of cooking to enjoy as a vegetable soup.
-The recipe may be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Did you try this stewed zucchini recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more Italian zucchini recipes!
- Crispy Italian Zucchini Fritters
- Grilled Zucchini with Mint and Vinegar
- Creamy Risotto Pasta with Zucchini
- Baked Cheese Zucchini Frittata
- Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms
- Prosciutto and Cheese Zucchini Rollups
- Spaghetti with Zucchini
- Baked Parmesan Zucchini Crisps
- Spiralized Zucchini “Meatballs” with Ricotta
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 medium onion
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- handful fresh basil leaves
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: slice zucchini into 1/4 inch half rounds; dice onion, cube potatoes.
- In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the zucchini, potatoes and peas as well as a pinch of salt. Stir all ingredients together.
- Pour enough water to cover, but not completely submerge the vegetables. I added 1 1/4 cups water.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and cook 10 minutes longer.
- In the last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in the minced garlic.
- Turn off the heat, adjust seasoning if needed, stir in basil leaves and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
- Serve hot.
Notes
-Vary the vegetables according to what you have on hand such as green beans or asparagus.
-Fresh chopped parsley may also be added at the end of cooking.
-Cook any short length pasta of your choice, such as ditali, tubettini or small shells, and add to the vegetables at the end of cooking for a simple vegetable soup. Serving Size -This recipe serves 2 as a main dish or 4 servings as a side dish.
-Cook small pasta separately and toss in at the end of cooking to enjoy as a vegetable soup.
-The recipe may be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. Storage Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
What a stitch! I made a variation of this for dinner last night with asparagus rather than zucchini and Sicilian wild fennel seed. That was before the addition I read the recipe this newsletter. The recipe was written in my DNA! It was delicious. The secret is in the quality of the ingredients.
Hi Lisa, great minds think alike! I’m so glad you enjoyed your variation of this recipe, it really does work well with a variety of veggies and as you say, it’s all in the freshness of the ingredients. Thanks for your comment!