Savor the vibrant flavors of summer with a delightful Summer Panzanella featuring freshly harvested pattypan squash. This garden-to-table recipe celebrates the peak of the season, combining sun-ripened tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and aromatic basil with the unique, nutty sweetness of pattypan squash. Tossed with rustic, toasted bread cubes that soak up the sherry vinaigrette, each bite is a refreshing symphony of textures and tastes. Perfect for showcasing your garden’s bounty, this panzanella is a light, yet satisfying dish that captures the essence of summer in every mouthful.

Summer Panzanella with Squash

Jeanine Donofrio

Enjoy the vibrant flavors of summer with Summer Panzanella, featuring fresh pattypan squash, sun-ripened tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and rustic bread cubes tossed in a light vinaigrette.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• 5-6 pattypan squash cut into 1" pieces
• olive oil for drizzling
• 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 1 small cucumber cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1/2 clove garlic minced
• sherry vinegar for drizzling
• 1/2 cup mini mozzarella balls cut in half
• 4-5 slices stale sourdough bread cut into 1" cubes
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• big handful of torn fresh basil leaves
• generous pinches of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Heat a grill pan to medium. Toss the squash pieces with a drizzle of olive oil, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Place the squash onto the grill pan and grill each side until the squash is tender and char marks form (about 2 minutes per side).
• Place the cherry tomatoes and cucumbers in a large bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, the minced garlic, a drizzle of sherry vinegar, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Toss again.
• When the squash is done, add it to the bowl along with mozzarella, bread, pine nuts, and basil.
• Add more olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper as needed.
• Let the salad sit at room temp for about 15 minutes so that the bread has the chance to soak up the flavorful juices.

Notes

This recipe was originally published on the Love and Lemons blog.

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