Serves 4 / I like to serve this simple, delicious salad as part of a picnic or other alfresco meal. I've specified white onion here because it retains a firmer texture, but you could certainly use yellow or red onions, too. It's very important to use a flavorful olive oil in this recipe.
1-1/2 pounds zucchini, cut crosswise into 2-inch lengths
4 tablespoons fragrant extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion (8 ounces or so), sliced
2 tablespoons slivered fresh garlic
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (1 large lemon)
1 tablespoon each chopped mint and parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges and whole-milk yogurt, to garnish
Recipe
Steam the zucchini until it's just softened but still bright green, 8-10 minutes. With a fork, mash the zucchini in a colander to press out as much water as possible. Zucchini will look very roughly chopped. Set aside.
In a sauté pan add 3 tablespoons olive oil and cook the onions and garlic over moderate heat until crisp tender and just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, then gently stir in the zucchini and lemon zest.
Turn mixture into a bowl and stir in the mint, parsley, and remaining olive oil. Season to taste with salt and lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve at room temperature with lemon wedges (squeeze fresh juice over salad) and a dollop of yogurt. Can be prepared up to a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator; allow salad to come to room temperature before serving