The 5-Ingredient Tuscan Zucchini I Make at Least Once a Week

Once I discovered zucchini scarpaccia, known in my family as the "zucchini gateway recipe," I knew I'd never wonder what to do with a bumper crop of zucchini again. Introduced to me by Italian friends, this Tuscan dish is fast, easy, delicious, and made with a handful of ingredients—a real winner. 

Zucchini scarpaccia is a crispy, crunchy, and intensely flavorful dish composed primarily of vegetables. Before it came along, my kids would never have even considered eating zucchini unless it was in bread form and paired with chocolate chips. 

This rustic Italian tart has since become a summer staple in our house. The best part? My kids gobble it up like french fries!

For An Extra-Crispy Crust

For an extra crispy crust, use cheesecloth to squeeze any excess water out of the zucchini. Pushing the zucchini into the colander will get a good amount of water out, but the extra step of using cheesecloth to squeeze out the remaining water will make the end result that much better.

Amp Up Your Zucchini Scarpaccia

• Along with a dusting of cornmeal, finish your tart with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.
• You can add more flavor to the batter by adding dried herbs or herb blends, like Italian seasoning, fresh garlic or garlic powder, and/or even more freshly grated cheese. You may need to adjust the amount of salt.
• Finish the dish with chopped, fresh herbs like oregano, basil, or parsley. 
• Serve it with marinara or a herby, lemony Greek yogurt sauce for dipping.

How To Reheat Leftovers

We never end up with extra at our house—it all gets eaten up as soon as it comes out of the oven! But extras do reheat well, so long as you follow these tips. 

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and place the slices down, keeping space in between each piece. Cook for up to 2 minutes, or until the bottom is golden-brown and crispy and the tart is warmed through, then flip and cook it for another 30 seconds. Serve it immediately while still hot and crispy.

Zucchini Recipes

• Easy Zucchini Butter
• Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
• Zucchini Fritters
• Baked Zucchini Fries

Salt and drain the zucchini and onion:

Place the zucchini and onion in a large colander, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt, and toss to combine. 

Place the colander over a large bowl to collect any liquid, and weigh down the zucchini mixture with a plate or bowl that fits inside the colander and something heavy, like a couple of cans or jars. Set aside for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Play with your kids, go to the park, or finish the laundry.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven. Line a rimmed quarter sheet pan (9x13-inch) with parchment paper and generously drizzle it with olive oil.

Dry the zucchini:

Remove the weights and plate from the zucchini and squeeze the excess water out, pressing the zucchini into the colander over the bowl below. Pour the zucchini water into a measuring cup. Measure out 1/2 cup, discarding any extra or adding water if you don’t have enough, and add back to the bowl. 

Make the batter:

Add the cornmeal, rice flour, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and whisk everything together to form a crumbly batter. Transfer the squeezed zucchini and onions to the batter and stir with a rubber spatula until the zucchini is well-coated.

Transfer to the pan:

Transfer the mixture to the well-oiled sheet pan and press everything down with your hands until evenly spread out. Drizzle generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with a final dusting of cornmeal.

Bake:

Bake until golden brown and crispy, rotating the pan halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.

Set aside to cool for 10 or so minutes, then carefully transfer the tart to a cutting board, using the parchment as handles, and cut into desired serving size. Serve immediately.

Store leftovers in the fridge in a tightly sealed container in even layers with parchment in between. It’ll keep for up to 4 days.

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