As much as I like admiring summer flowers in the garden, I love to eat them even more! Not all flowers are edible, but squash flowers—better known as zucchini blossoms—are the highly anticipated golden gifts of summer in Italy and on my Italian table. These delicately flavored flowers are as delectable as they are beautiful, with bright yellow ochre petals that when splayed open resemble the sun itself. Italians revere fiori di zucca and prepare them in a myriad of ways: batter-coated and fried (watch my recipe video on Instagram here), filled with morsels of mozzarella and anchovy then batter-fried, adorning a frittata (recipe video for my Sunburst Frittata on Instagram here), in risotto or pasta, and stuffed with ricotta then baked in a tangy tomato sauce like my Baked Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms.
Harvesting and storing the blossoms couldn’t be simpler if you grow zucchini—an obligatory summer crop for Italian gardeners and farmers—but there are a few guidelines to follow (see my tutorial video on Instagram here. First, one must identify the male flowers to pick, leaving female flowers to produce zucchini. Male flowers have long thin stems while female flowers have short, bulbous stems close to the plant that grow into baby zucchini with blossoms attached. Leave the females to produce vegetables and pick only the males, shaking their pollen onto female flowers to cross-pollinate and ensure a bumper crop of zucchini. Pick blossoms in early morning when petals are open for easy access to fuzzy stamens, then pinch off the stamens and shake out pollen and occasional ants. Flower petals begin to close mid-morning, but by then the work is done and harvested flowers can be stored (without washing!) between sheets of paper towel in an airtight container in the refrigerator for days until enough are gathered to cook with.
Visiting my son’s plentiful vegetable garden last week gave me the splendid gift of harvesting enough male flowers to make my Baked Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms recipe to share with you. It’s a rare summer dish to savor, worth its weight in gold in presentation and flavor with minimal prep and cook time (something to treasure in hot months). As I made the filling—beating creamy ricotta with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, egg, and chopped parsley—a concerto of birds chirping merrily outside the window serenaded me. While I gently pried open each blossom’s gossamer petals with my fingers and carefully spooned in filling, I felt the glow of sun shining into the kitchen illuminating the flowers’ golden color even more. Feeling blissfully one with nature, I twisted each stuffed blossom’s petal tips closed, creating what looked like plump yellow flower buds. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that they are Mother Nature’s ravioli, made with flower petals instead of pasta sheets, which makes them even more precious.
Nestled on a bed of fruity San Marzano tomato sauce and blanketed with more grated cheese, my stuffed zucchini blossoms baked to golden perfection, proving them to be a true testament to summer’s generous bounty and the beauty of seasonal produce transformed into a rustic yet elegant dish.
These stuffed zucchini blossoms out of the oven are as much a feast for the eyes as indulging in their delicate flavors is a treat for the taste buds. Each forkful of tender, baked flower petals reveals a soft, cheesy center cloaked in zingy tomato sauce that melts in the mouth like a bite of sunshine. One of the best dishes under the sun and deserving of a chef’s kiss, my Baked Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms lets you admire your flowers and eat them too. Make them this summer and bask in their glow!
BAKED STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS
Fiori di Zucca Ripieni
{Recipe}
Copyright, 2024, Deborah Dal Fovo, All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited
Golden zucchini blossoms are a prized delicacy in Italian whether cooked batter fried, in a frittata, pasta, or risotto, or stuffed with ricotta then baked in a tangy tomato sauce like these. Harvest only male flowers with thin stems in early morning when petals are open, then pinch off stamens and shake out pollen.
Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
Sprig of basil or thyme leaves
14 ounces/400g canned San Marzano tomatoes, pureed
Filling:
1 cup/260g whole milk ricotta, drained of excess liquid
½ cup/33g freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more to garnish
½ cup/33g freshly grated Pecorino cheese
1 large egg
½ cup/8g Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Zucchini Blossoms:
12 large zucchini blossoms, stamens removed (see previous post for tutorial)
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into 12 small dice (optional)
Heat the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the garlic begins to sizzle around edges, add the sprig of basil or thyme. Pull pan off the heat for 30 seconds then carefully pour the tomatoes in the pan very close to oil to prevent splatter. Return to heat, season generously with salt and pepper then cook at lively simmer for 20 minutes until thickened and the tomato acidity mellows. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature then remove the herbs and discard. Tomato sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for 3 months.
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
In a mixing bowl use a whisk to beat together the ricotta, grated Parmigiano and Pecorino, egg, and chopped parsley until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated before using.
Using a piping bag fitted with wide tip or a tablespoon to fill the blossoms one-by-one with about 2 tablespoons filling. Twist the petal tips together to seal and set aside while you fill the rest.
Spread a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish large enough to fit the blossoms in one layer. Arrange the stuffed blossoms, alternating their directions, in snug rows on the tomato sauce. Dab tomato sauce on each blossom and use the back of a spoon to spread evenly along the row. Sprinkle grated Parmigiano Reggiano over the blossoms then pour a thin stream of olive oil over each row and dot each blossom with a piece of butter (optional).
Bake in the center of hot oven for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving with a light sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano or Pecorino over top.