TABELIA

AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Fiori di Zucca FrittiFried Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Fried Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Difficulty★★☆☆☆ Prep20 min Cook10 min servings2

A celebrated Roman summer appetizer: zucchini blossoms filled with ricotta and anchovies, then fried in a thin batter. A delicate, luxurious dish enclosing rich flavor within each flower.

Recipe developed and reviewed by the Tabelia Editorial TeamUpdated
100/ 100

AUTHENTICITY SCORE

Authenticity Score

This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • Zucchini blossomsRemove the stamens and handle gently to avoid tearing the petals.8 pieces
  • Ricotta100 g
  • Oil-packed anchovy filletsFinely chopped.4 fillets
  • Cake flour100 g
  • Cold sparkling waterUse cold water for a crisp batter.150 ml
  • Sunflower oil for frying500 ml

Method

13 min

Make the filling

  • 1 Finely chop 4 anchovy fillets.
  • 2 Mix 100 g ricotta, the chopped anchovies and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
25 min

Remove the stamens

  • 1 Gently remove the stamens from 8 zucchini blossoms with your fingers.

Caution

Handle carefully so as not to tear the petals.

35 min

Fill the blossoms

  • 1 Put about 1 tsp filling into each blossom.
  • 2 Gently twist the petal tips to close.
42 min

Make the batter

  • 1 Mix 100 g cake flour with 150 ml cold sparkling water.

Caution

Do not overmix: developing gluten makes it sticky. Stop while a few lumps remain.

55 min

Heat the oil

  • 1 Heat 500 ml frying oil to 180°C.

Ready when

Continue when a small drop of batter immediately floats and produces fine bubbles.

63 min

Fry the blossoms

  • 1 Dip the blossoms in the batter.
  • 2 Fry for 2–3 minutes.

Ready when

Lift out when the coating is lightly golden.

71 min

Drain and salt

  • 1 Drain on paper towels.
  • 2 Sprinkle with salt.
  • 3 Serve hot.
A view of Roma, Trastevere
Roma, TrastevereItaly Photo: wiccahwang · CC BY 2.0 (resized; display cropped)

About this dish

From early summer through summer, Roman markets display bunches of zucchini blossoms. Picked in the morning and highly perishable, they have long been ingredients for that day’s kitchen rather than for distant transport.

Fiori di zucca fritti is a well-known Roman summer appetizer. Some restaurants stuff the blossoms with ricotta and anchovies before frying. In trattorias and at home, the dish is loved as a herald of a brief season.

Eating flowers reflects Roman cooking’s impulse to enjoy everything the garden offers in season. Turning the fleeting form before the fruit into a dish, zucchini blossoms are almost a way of eating the season itself.

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