Italian Zucchini Frittata With Flowers

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This Italian zucchini frittata is made not only with zucchini but also with its flowers. Flavoured with mozzarella and parmesan you can serve it as an appetizer or with a salad for a summer lunch.

The Best Zucchini

For this recipe, I am using Zucchini Trombetta which this year I am growing in my garden. Zucchini Trombetta are long and curved zucchini shaped like a trumpet and they are typical of the Italian Ligurian region.

They are crunchy and have a distinctive flavour and if you want to know more about it you can read my article: The Amazing Zucchini Trombetta Albenga In the article, you will find additional zucchini recipes and you can make them with any regular zucchini.

If I cannot find zucchini Trombetta, I always buy small zucchini as they have fewer seeds and they are not too watery.

If you want to know more about unusual Italian vegetables, you can find the video of my morning trip to Ventimiglia market here below:

Where to find zucchini flowers

Zucchini flowers are a common ingredient in Mediterranean countries during the summer where they are in season. You can find them in most supermarkets, but they can be expensive and you have to use them the same day.

That is why I like to have my own zucchini plants in my vegetable garden. I can pick them early in the morning on the same day that I want to prepare them.

I pick them early in the morning as the flower is still open and I can check that no insects are inside. After only a few hours the flower will close.

If you want to know more about how to create your own vegetable garden you can read the article series on How to plant a vegetable garden on my friend Beth’s blog Binky Culinary Carnival.

Which flower to use

There are two types of flowers, the male which is the flower that pollinates, and the female which is the flower that yields the zucchini.

The female flower is the one attached to the zucchini, it has a large stem inside.
The male flower has a small stem and there is more room to insert the filling.

Fried Zucchini flowers: Male zucchini flower — Fried Zucchini flowers: **Male zucchini flower**

Zucchini-flowers-female-flower — Fried Zucchini flowers: **Female zucchini flower**

You can use either flower but for frying, I prefer to use the male ones.

How to clean the flowers

Zucchini flowers are easy to clean as the entire flower is edible:

Cut the flower sepals (the small green mini leaves that covers the base of the petals)
Open the flower to make sure there are no insects inside
Wash the flowers with running water
Lay them upside down in a colander to drain out any water from inside the flower

Making the frittata mix

Cut the flowers in slices along the petal
Rinse the zucchini and either shred them or slice them in very thinly. Best to use a shredder
Mix the flowers and the zucchini with all the ingredients
Stir thoroughly

Frying the frittata

In a frying pan add some olive oil
With your hand shape the small frittata patty and fry for about 10 minutes
Turn over to the other side once golden
Lay on a kitchen towel to absorb the oil

How to serve this zucchini frittata

I like to serve these frittatas as a starter. Because they are mainly vegetable and cheese-based, they can be combined with either a meat or a fish main.

For the Summer it can also be served as a light lunch with a salad on the side. I find them very handy since I planted zucchini in my garden. If I don’t know what to make for lunch, I can always go to my vegetable patch and fetch some fresh zucchini and flowers and lunch is ready.

Italian zucchini frittata sucked up on a serving plate

Tips for making the best zucchini frittata

Buy medium / small zucchini as they have fewer seeds
I cut the zucchini in thin slices as my zucchini Trombetta are very thin. If you are using regular zucchini you may want to shred them with a julienne cut to make sure the zucchini cooks thoroughly and frittata keeps its shape
If you want to make it low fat, you can cook it in the oven in a silicon mould as I did for these baked frittatas
If you cannot find zucchini flowers, the frittata is also good with just zucchini

Italian zucchini frittata served on a dish

Recipes with zucchini you might also like

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