Caprese Stuffed Zucchini Flowers


It has been a crazy month here in Umbria. We just returned from Puglia, then took a short trip to Venice before our family arrived for two weeks. We took the family to Riccione for a few days to enjoy the sea and for the guys to bike, then as soon as we returned home, our youngest grandson came down with a nasty flu bug.

Unfortunately, the poor little guy was all but bedridden for four days which squashed the rest of our travel plans. The day after the family left, I came down with the flu as well, and today is the first day that I am feeling halfway normal. Hopefully, the rest of the summer will be more uneventful!

This is the second year that my husband planted zucchini plants that only produce flowers, not zucchini, so every day he brings me at least a dozen zucchini flowers. I have tried just about every preparation possible to use up these flowers, and have found that pan-frying them in a little oil after dipping them first in an egg wash and then in seasoned flour is my favorite.

You can either prepare the flowers unstuffed, or stuff them with a cube of mozzarella, some chopped tomatoes, and a little basil as I have done in this recipe. Both methods taste great, and I made these flowers for my family several times during their stay here in Umbria this year. I have used both safflower oil as well as olive oil for frying and both work well.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Caprese Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Caprese Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Zucchini flowers are stuffed with a combination of creamy mozzarella and ripe chopped tomatoes before frying.

Ingredients

  • 16 Zucchini Flowers
  • 16 1-inch Cubes Mozzarella
  • 1/2 Cup Finely Diced Tomatoes
  • 3 Teaspoons Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons Milk
  • 1 Cup All-purpose Flour
  • Salt & Pepper To Taste
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • Oil For Frying

Instructions

  1. Remove the stamen from the zucchini flowers.
  2. Stuff the flowers with a cube of mozzarella, a half teaspoon or so of the diced tomatoes, and a little of the chopped basil.
  3. Carefully twist the ends of the flower to keep the stuffing inside.
  4. Beat the eggs with the milk in a small bowl.
  5. In another bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and oregano.
  6. Carefully dip the flowers first into the egg wash, then the flour to coat completely.
  7. Set the coated flowers on a platter.
  8. Fill a large frying pan with about an inch of oil, and heat over a medium high flame until lightly smoking.
  9. Fry the flowers in batches, turning them over halfway, until golden brown.
  10. Place the fried flowers on a paper towel lined tray, and continue to fry the rest of the flowers until they have all been used.
  11. Sprinkle the flowers with some coarse salt, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 flowers
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 660Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 183mgSodium: 886mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 10gSugar: 17gProtein: 42g

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4 Comments

  1. I have been looking for a stuffed zucchini flower recipe for a while.  We had them first about 3 years ago, in  a little  restaurant on the second floor of an old building in the town of Gaiole, owned and operated by a  very nice young couple. The flowers were delicious as was the rest of the food. Is there a difference, do you think, with the zucchini flowers found in the US and the ones grown in Italy?  Have you prepared the flowers from the zucchini plant ( not just the flowers you described in this post)  the same way and do they taste the same?  My few tries here in the states have not been successful.  Have you found the flowers softened quickly if allowed to sit on a plate while frying the rest of the batch?  If so how do you solve that problem?

    When we return to Italy next year we hope that restaurant is open.   My husband and I  fell in love with Ricciarelli  cookies when in Italy  on another holiday in Tuscany, and it took me a few years to find and make a recipe closest to the one we enjoyed in Italy. This simple recipe for  Zucchini flowers is my next challenge. 

    Love your website and always check out your recipes.   
    Have a great day-try to stay cool!

    1. Zucchini flowers are zucchini flowers wherever they are grown. This recipe works just as well with zucchini flowers grown in the US or those here in Italy. I use the flowers from our regular zucchini plants as well as those grown from zucchini flower specific plants. I wouldn’t let the flowers sit out at room temperature too long, because just like any flowers, unless they are in water they will wilt.

  2. I am sorry to hear that you were ill but glad that you have recovered. Fried zucchini flowers always remind me of my grandmother. They are not easy to find here in north Florida so whenever I am able to get some I savor them. Just looking at your pictures makes my mouth water.

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