Zucchini Rice Squares

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

1. Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together34,122 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

2. Rice + chickentop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,769 recipes

   Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).

3. Onion + chickentop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together17,814 recipes

   Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).

4. Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,163 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

5. Onion + parsleytop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together25,843 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs

Bind the cheese and rice mixture so it holds together when cooled and cut.

Rice

Provides the body of the squares, absorbing the broth as it cooks.

Zucchini

Adds moisture and tender texture to the squares.

Parmesan cheese

Adds savory flavour and helps the mixture set and brown lightly.

Mozzarella cheese

Melts over the top and browns during baking.

The step that matters

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, rice, chicken, parmesan cheese, parsley, egg, pepper):

1. Asparagusfits better
2. Potatofits better
3. Capsicumfits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, rice, chicken, parmesan cheese, parsley, egg, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.