Sautéed Summer Squash with Red Pepper and Onion
This is the time of year when, no matter what part of the country you live in, tables at farmers’ markets are piled high with summer squash, mounds of it: yellow, light green and dark, round and long. This is a vegetable that expresses itself well in a wide range of dishes; just about every cuisine in the world knows how to show it off. It's an excellent low-calorie food, with only 19 calories per cup of raw squash. Squash are also nutritionally rich, boasting vitamins A & C, potassium, magnesium and folate. It also contains several antioxidants and soluble and insoluble fiber. Regular consumption contributes to healthy digestion and it may lower blood sugar levels.
Makes: 6-8 servings
Time to cook: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
1½ pounds summer squash, cut in ½-inch dice
1 small red pepper, cut in ¼-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Cooking Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes, and add the garlic, summer squash, red pepper, and about ¾ teaspoon salt.
2. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the squash is translucent and the red pepper tender, about 10 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat. Serve as a side dish, or use as a filling for a vegetable tart, gratin, or frittata.
TIPS
Some types of squash cook faster than others. Zucchini cooks more quickly than pattypan, for example.
You can make this a few hours before you serve it and reheat it gently. If you’re using it as a filling for another dish, it will hold for 3 days in the refrigerator. The squash may throw off some juice in the refrigerator; just stir the dish well and use
Nutrition per serving
51 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugar; 1 grams protein; 248 milligrams sodium.
Recipe by Martha Rose Shulman, NY Times Cooking
