Zucchini Sausage Skillet

Five ingredients, one skillet, and about 30 minutes stand between you and a hearty sausage and zucchini dinner loaded with melted mozzarella.

Browning the sausage first builds a fond on the bottom of the pan that the onion picks up as it softens. Draining the excess fat at this stage is important. Sausage renders a lot of grease, and leaving it in would make the finished dish oily rather than saucy.

Tomato juice goes in with the sliced zucchini and does the work of a quick braising liquid. It’s thinner than crushed tomatoes, so it simmers down into a light, brothy sauce that coats the zucchini rather than burying it. Ten minutes of covered cooking is enough for the zucchini to turn tender without falling apart into mush.

The mozzarella goes on right at the end. Sprinkling it over the hot skillet and letting residual heat do the melting gives you stretchy, gooey cheese without any extra oven time.

Kitchen Tips

• Use bulk Italian sausage (sweet or hot) and crumble it as it browns for even distribution. Links work too, but slice them into coins first.
• Cut the zucchini into thick half-moons, about a quarter inch. Too thin and they dissolve in the tomato juice.
• If you want a thicker sauce, let the tomato juice reduce uncovered for the last 3-4 minutes before adding cheese.

Variations

• Low-carb bowl: Serve over cauliflower rice instead of pasta or bread for a keto-friendly meal.
• Summer garden version: Add diced bell peppers and yellow squash alongside the zucchini when the garden is overflowing.
• Spicy Italian: Use hot Italian sausage and add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the tomato juice.