Pan-Seared Zucchini

This is the side I make when I don't want to think too hard about it, but still want something that looks like I did. One zucchini, a hot pan, and about twenty minutes of mostly waiting.

The score is the step people skip, and it's the one that matters. Cutting into the flesh before salting means the water actually pulls out through more surface area instead of just sitting on top. Then when it hits the hot pan, those cut lines contract into ridges, and that's what turns into real char instead of just browned skin.

Salt it, let it sit, pat it dry. Skipping the dry step means steam instead of a sear, so don't rush past that part.

Three minutes hard in the pan, then a short stint in the oven to soften the center without losing the bite. Twenty minutes total, one pan, one ingredient beyond salt and oil.

I made this one alongside the one-pan chicken and potatoes, same logic: minimal cleanup, real result. It holds up fine on its own too.