Zucchini vs. Squash: What’s the Difference?

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) is a green summer squash. Italian immigrants brought zucchini from Italy to the Americas. People refer to more than one of these squashes as zucchini or zucchinis, although the singular word in the Italian language is zucchino. British English speakers call a zucchini a courgette, a word borrowed from France.

A fresh zucchini has dark green skin and is either striped or uniform in color. In the grocery store, it can be hard to tell the difference between zucchinis and cucumbers because of their resemblance to each other. The best way to tell the difference between the two is by touch. Cucumbers are generally hard, waxy, and cool to the touch, while zucchini are more warm and yielding, with a slight grittiness under the fingertips. A gourd is in the same plant family (Cucurbitaceae) as squash, but it is inedible and mostly fulfills decorative purposes.

You can use raw zucchini in many preparations, like zucchini noodles (also called zoodles), or cooked dishes like breads. Zucchini bread is a popular dish, and because zucchini has a mild flavor, it works with many different flavors. Combine it with olive oil, fresh herbs, and other sautéed veggies for a side dish, or sauté slices of zucchini and top them with red sauce and mozzarella.

Green zucchini is one variety of summer squash, but there are many other squashes on the market, especially at farmers markets. Here are more varieties of zucchini and squash:

1. 1. Acorn squash: A variety of winter squash, acorn squash resembles an acorn with pale orange flesh. Its outer skin ranges in color from green to a faded orange. You can hollow out acorn squash and stuff it with fall-flavored stuffings or soup.
2. 2. Butternut squash: Most often associated with fall dishes like butternut squash soup, butternut squash is actually a type of winter squash. In general, winter squashes are starchy and hardier than summer squashes, requiring you to cook them until they’re soft to make them edible.
3. 3. Crookneck squash: Yellow crookneck squash is a type of zucchini known for its signature crooked neck—a thinner, curved end of the squash. It is bright yellow in color and is sweeter than other zucchini varieties, making it a good option for zucchini bread.
4. 4. Gourmet gold zucchini: This variety of golden zucchini gets its name from its bright yellow color. The taste of gold zucchini is mild like the green variety and works in cold salads as an appetizer or side dish.
5. 5. Pattypan squash: Pattypan squash is somewhat flat and round, almost like a saucer in shape. Pattypans come in a variety of colors, have fluted or scalloped edges, and are on the small side. Pattypan is a summer squash with a crunchy texture that can make it good for using in cold salads.
6. 6. Round zucchini: Ball-like in shape, round zucchini has a mild and slightly sweet flavor. Round zucchini is good for stuffing after you hollow it out. Fill the zucchini with veggies, bread, grains, or even soup.
7. 7. Spaghetti squash: Once cooked, the flesh of this ingredient shreds easily. You can use spaghetti squash in place of thin spaghetti in some recipes, and it is a common gluten-free or low-carb alternative to pasta. The exterior is oval shaped and pale yellow, and the inside is usually the same color.
8. 8. Sugar pumpkin: Sugar pumpkins are round, bright orange, and very starchy and sturdy. Use them for carving, then roast the seeds and make a purée out of them for classic fall desserts like pumpkin pie or pumpkin pancakes.
9. 9. Yellow straightneck squash: Yellow straightneck squash is another one of the many types of summer squash. A yellow squash with a straightneck, this squash is sometimes called yellow zucchini or just simply summer squash. The skin is bumpy and the flesh is white. You can use it with green zucchini in dishes like ratatouille.

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