For a beautiful summery treat, it’s hard to top delicate zucchini flowers stuffed with a creamy filling and then lightly fried until crisp and golden. Try to find a good-quality whole-milk ricotta from an Italian deli or specialty food store. The upgrade is worth it here.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 12 large zucchini blossoms
- 3/4 cup fresh whole-milk ricotta (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/4 cup grated low-moisture mozzarella (about 1 ounce)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups chilled plain seltzer
- Warm marinara, for dipping
Instructions
- Prepare the zucchini blossoms for stuffing by gently opening the leaves and pinching out the stamen inside each flower. Set the blossoms aside.
- For the filling, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Transfer to a sandwich-size resealable plastic bag and snip a small corner from one point at the bottom.
- Open the leaves of a blossom and pipe in about 1 tablespoon of filling (don’t overfill). Gently twist the top of the blossom to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining zucchini blossoms and filling.
- Pour about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet and heat to 360 degrees F. (If you don’t have an oil thermometer, you’ll know the oil is ready if you drop in a scrap of bread and it sizzles on contact and begins to brown after a few seconds.) Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- For the batter, whisk the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the seltzer to make a smooth batter.
- When the oil is ready, dip the zucchini flowers in the batter one at a time, letting excess batter drip back into the bowl. Add as many as will fit in the skillet without crowding. Fry, turning once, until the batter is light, crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon to the lined baking sheet to drain and repeat with the remaining blossoms.
- Serve warm with marinara for dipping.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 171 |
| Total Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 11 mg |
| Sodium | 175 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 171 |
| Total Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 11 mg |
| Sodium | 175 mg |
Reviews
These are a delicious delicacy! For anyone who doesn’t know, these are made with the male flowers. They have long stems on them while the females are attached to the stalk with the zucchini growing in between. You can also saute the female flowers with the tiny zucchini attached to them (I don’t recommend trying to stuff them) which is especially helpful if you have too many zucchini! If you have a hard time finding them, just ask around who you know that is growing zucchini and in summer, they’ll have them. They don’t last long, so stores aren’t likely to carry them.
I’ve never seen a zucchini blossom in my life … literally.
FYI-It’s very easy to make your own whole milk ricotta and it’s much tastier
As if zucchini blossoms are easier to find than a “good quality whole-milk ricotta”, unless of course, you are lucky enough to be growing them in a garden.