When life is at its busiest and I don’t have the mental bandwidth to come up with a creative or inspiring dinner, I turn to something simple. I grill up a basic protein, I fix a quick veggie side, and we sit down to something healthy and quick and satisfying. This Parmesan Zucchini and Corn is one of my favorite sides for nights like those – while it’s quick to throw together, it’s absolutely delicious and the starchiness of the corn keeps it filling enough that you don’t need much else to go with it.

It uses up a ton of zucchini – you can use four medium squash in this – but it’s not all about the zucchini. Since there are so many other flavors going on, this feels almost like a salad, even though it’s a dish that’s just quickly sauteed together and served hot. There’s zucchini and fragrant garlic, earthy thyme and sweet corn but there’s also a bit of Parmesan to add some umami and some lemon juice, basil, and parsley to brighten things up.

It takes all of ten minutes to throw together (maybe less if you’re a particularly fast chopper) and yet it’s so full of flavor. Whether you have extra time on your hands or not, it’s a side dish that always satisfies.