It has an international pedigree

Italians are thought to have bred modern zucchini from the squash they picked up in colonial America zucca is actually the Italian word for squash. That s why you ll see zucchini referred to as Italian squash in some recipes. Still, summer squash has been around for quite some time. The crop dates back to 5500 B.C.E. where it was integral in the diets of people living in Central America and South America, according to the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. (And if you re in Europe, it may appear on menus as courgette .)