Zucchini Scarpaccia

square featured image scarpaccia zucchini tart

Scarpaccia is an Italian Zucchini Tart with humble origins but a rich, bold flavor that rivals any gourmet recipe.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Resting Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings Portions

Calories 111kcal

Author Diana Reis

Equipment

Mandolin optional
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

5 Cups Zucchini sliced 2-3 medium zucchini
1 Cup Red Onion thinly sliced ½ red onion
¾ Cup All Purpose Flour
¼ Cup Cornmeal
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Dry Basil Leaves
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese grated ½ for dry mixture ½ for topping
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

Slice zucchini and half of a red onion into thin slices. Place into a large mixing bowl and toss with two teaspoons of salt.
Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. This will push out excess water.
Preheat the oven for 400° F.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, dry basil, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
Remove the zucchini and onion from the refrigerator. After 30 minutes, they have let go of a lot of the water and will be very damp. (The moisture is the liquid for our batter. Some recipes have you squeeze out all of the liquid and mix it with the dry ingredients to form a batter. We are going to leave it right in the same bowl and add the dry mixture to zucchini, onions, and all of their liquids.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of sliced zucchini and mix until a batter forms around the vegetables.
Place the scarpaccia batter on a sheet pan lined with parchment or well greased. Spread the batter evenly into a thin layer and press the layer flat with the palm of your hand.
Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle the remaining half of a cup of parmesan evenly over the top.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is brown and crisp.
Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 30 minutes. Then, cut into 12 even pieces and serve slightly warm to room temperature.

Notes

Variations

Add potatoes for a heartier version of this dish. Potatoes need to be placed in water or used immediately after slicing to prevent browning.

Adding squash blossoms, bell peppers, or shaved carrots can be great. Do make sure to let these vegetables sit with some salt to ensure they release their water and can bake up nice and crispy.
Diana’s Tips For Success

Slice the zucchini into very thin, very even pieces. A mandolin makes this very easy, but a sharp knife and patience will get you the same result. The slices should be almost see through and each zucchini round should be very flexible.
Do the same thing with your onions or any other vegetables you may add.
Give the vegetables their full rest time to make sure they release their water. This will make sure your dry ingredients adhere fully to each slice and make a nice batter to hold your scarpaccia together.

Storage and Reheating

Store the remaining pieces of the scarpaccia in an airtight container.

Scarpaccia can be eaten cold, so reheating isn’t always necessary. However, to enjoy the crisp texture of freshly baked, reheat the pieces in a dry skillet on low heat to remove any moisture that may have built up in the refrigerator.

Nutrition