Parmesan Zucchini and Corn
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A healthy 10 minute zucchini side dish to dress up any meal. It’s so simple yet full of flavor! SO SO GOOD.

Featured Comment
In an effort to use up all this summer zucchini in abundance here, I decided to make the easiest side dish ever, dressing it up with a bit of basil, oregano and thyme, a squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro leaves and all the shaved Parmesan. Yes, yes, yes.
why i love this easy side dish
- Quick and easy. This comes together lightning fast (and does not require much effort or time), perfect to keep in your back pocket to accompany those main dishes.
- Pairs well with any meal. This is one of those great side dishes that can dress up any dish – from steaks to lasagnas to casseroles and stews – it will truly go with any meal!
- Great for summer entertaining. Zucchini and corn are great vegetables to showcase summer produce, so good for summer barbecues, picnics, potlucks and entertaining all season long.
- Short ingredient list. The ingredient list here is super simple and short, most of which are pantry staples and herbs.
- Picky-eater approved. This is a quintessential side dish that kids will actually eat (and like)!
- Flexible and forgiving. This recipe can easily be dressed up as needed – add bacon, make it spicy or use a different kind of cheese. And you can use any kind of corn you have on hand. There is no wrong way of having zucchini and corn!

tips and tricks for success
- Size matters. Larger zucchini tend to be flavorless with bigger seeds and mushier centers. Choose zucchini that have bright green skin and are firm and heavy for its size.
- Make it colorful. Use a blend of zucchini and yellow squash.
- Any corn will work. Yellow or white summer corn is ideal (when they are fresh and budget-friendly) but feel free to use any corn you have on hand – roasted, frozen (thawed and drained) or canned.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice. While bottled lime juice can work in a pinch, freshly squeezed is ideal here for its vibrant, stronger flavors.
- Use high quality Parmesan. While powdered Parmesan can be a convenient option, it contains additives and fillers resulting in a gritty, sawdust texture. Opt for good quality, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or domestic Parmesan – this gives that favorited rich, nutty flavor to the dish.
- Mix it up. Add crispy bacon, make it spicy by adding in diced jalapeno or swap out the parmesan for crumbled feta.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH ZUCCHINI
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Parmesan Zucchini and Corn: Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using small to medium-sized zucchini, about 5-8 oz each and 6-8 inches in length.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Parmesan Zucchini and Corn
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in zucchini, corn, basil, oregano and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in lime juice and cilantro.
- Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan.
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This was so simple yet so delicious! I absolutely love this recipe and didn’t need to change a thing. The flavors come together perfectly and I think I’ll use the leftovers with breakfast!
Can I add some broccoli my grandsons don’t eat corn ! Wondering if it would work ?
Made this tonight as a side dish and it was excellent. It super easy to prepare and cooked fast. The only deviation I made was withholding the parmesan cheese.
My husband and kids all had seconds.
I have fresh corn on hand…does it need to be roasted first?
One of my favorite vegetable side dishes. So easy to make, and it’s a breeze to improvise with other additions – onions, jalapeños, even tomatoes. My husband loves it too, so since he’s a picky veggie eater, this is a winner.
Thank you for this recipe. It was so different & delicious & good way to use up zucchini!
This got rave reviews and now I serve it often! It’s a nice change, adding the corn. Roasting the corn make it extra special (I just brown it in a tiny bit of oil in a pan since it’s hot out, though oven roasting is great). Since it’s garden season, I used as many fresh herbs as I had growing vs. dried.
I love and trust this Damn Delicious site… use it a lot!
Loved this! Used feta because I had some to use up and parsley instead of cilantro because I’m one of THOSE people Also, was serving it with BBQ pork and just seemed it would go better and it was yummy. Parmesan next time, as a side with pasta something, anything!
My family enjoyed this tonight. We were able to use fresh herbs making really sing FRESH.
I made this today,it was delicious and flavourful and also so easy. I really enjoyed it. Will definitely make this again.
Easy peasy. Exactly what I needed right now when I have corn and zucchini coming out my ears and this one is quick and simple unlike some zucchini recipes I have. Thanks!
I just made this – so good. I cooked my veggies longer so they were slightly charred, and added feta cheese at the end.
Delicious served with kielbasa will definitely make again!
Easy and so tasty! Something new for zucchini rather than same recipe repeatedly.
My new favorite way to cook zucchini. I love the flavors, and mixing with the corn is genius.
I made for this for dinner tonight . My family loved it
Delicious! My whole family even kids loved it!
I made this last night for my family and we all loved it! Great way to get kids to eat veggies. Any suggestions on how to best preserve the leftovers? Thanks!
I made this as a side dish for my family dinner last night and it was amazing! Super easy to make after working all day, and a great way to get some veggies into your kids. I’m wondering how to best save the leftovers, and how long you think it would stay good? Thanks!
It was really good but I added a larger amount of the seasoning and liked it better