Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Scamorza, Olives, Almonds, and Mint

Ingredients

• 12 zucchini blossoms (fresh)
• 200 g smoked scamorza
• 20 g Taggiasca olives
• 20 g almonds
• fresh mint (to taste)
• 1 egg
• olive oil (for seasoning)
• salt (as needed)
• pepper (as needed)
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• 1.5 L vegetable oil (for frying)
• 100 g 00 flour (for the batter)
• 150 ml sparkling water (cold, for the batter)
• 0.5 tsp baking powder (for the batter)
• 10 ml lemon juice (for the batter)

Steps

1. 1

   Gently clean the zucchini blossoms, removing the inner pistil without breaking the blossom.

2. 2

   Prepare the filling by finely chopping the smoked scamorza, Taggiasca olives, and almonds. Add the chopped fresh mint, egg, salt, pepper, and a little lemon zest.

3. 3

   Stuff each blossom with the prepared mixture, folding the petal tips together firmly to seal in the filling.

4. 4

   For the fried version: prepare the batter by mixing the 00 flour with the cold sparkling water, baking powder, 10 ml lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt until smooth.

5. 5

   Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot until it reaches frying temperature.

6. 6

   Dip the blossoms in the batter and fry them in the hot oil until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

7. 7

   For the lighter version: arrange the stuffed blossoms on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil, and bake in the oven (the indicated total cooking time is 40 minutes).

Notes

The recipe offers two versions: fried in batter for maximum crispiness or baked in the oven for a lighter option. Make sure the sparkling water is very cold for a more aerated batter.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• vegetarian
• fried
• baked
• zucchini blossoms
• summer