Italian Zucchini Scarpaccia That's Crispy and Golden — With Only 15 Minutes Hands-On
Italian zucchini scarpaccia is a savory summer flatbread that uses shredded zucchini, a simple batter of flour and cornmeal, and loads of olive oil. The secret to its crispy edges and tender center is salting and weighting the zucchini for 2 hours to remove excess moisture.
Equipment
- Mandoline slicer
- Colander
- Bowl
- Plate and weight (e.g., jars of tomato sauce)
- Whisk
- Large oven sheet (37x47 cm or similar)
- Baking paper
- Parchment Paper
- Brush
- Spoon
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 kg zucchini sliced very thin
- 1 piece onion thinly sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp ground black pepper
- 130 g white flour
- 40 g yellow cornmeal
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried or fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 0.5 glass water optional, if batter is thick
Instructions
- Wash and slice: Wash the zucchini and cut into very thin slices using a mandoline. Put them in a large bowl.
- Add the onion: Slice the onion thinly and add to the bowl with the zucchini.
- Season and massage: Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and a little black pepper. Mix everything well with your hands for 5 minutes, until the squash softens and starts to release water. You'll feel the texture change — it becomes limp and wet.
- Weight it: Transfer the vegetables to a colander placed in a bowl. Arrange a plate over the zucchinis and add 1-2 kg of weight on top (jars of tomato sauce are perfect). Let sit for 2 hours. Go read a book or walk the dog.
- Save the liquid: After 2 hours, lift the colander. The bowl underneath will have several tablespoons of greenish zucchini juice. Do not discard it — this is the base of your batter.
- Make the batter: To the zucchini juice, add 120g of white flour, 40g of cornmeal, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Beat well with a whisk. If the batter looks thick and dense, add about half a glass of water — you want it to resemble a more liquid cream, the consistency of thin pancake batter.
- Combine: Pour this batter over the drained vegetables and mix very well. Every slice should be coated.
- Prepare the pan: Line the large oven sheet with baking paper. Sprinkle a little olive oil on the paper and brush it to coat evenly.
- Spread the mixture: Pour the scarpaccia mixture onto the pan and spread evenly. Press it down thoroughly — you can use a spoon or lay another sheet of parchment over the mixture and press with your palms. Remove the top parchment.
- Final touches: Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary.
- Bake: Place in the preheated oven at 220°C (425°F) for 35-40 minutes, until nicely browned. If your oven has a fan setting, turn it on — it makes the edges even crispier. Look for a deep golden color and edges that pull slightly away from the paper.
- Cool: Let cool in the pan for at least 1 hour. This is essential — the scarpaccia firms up as it cools. Then cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Don't skip the weight — 2 hours with a heavy jar on top is the key to crispy edges. Slice as evenly as possible, press the batter firmly, and let it cool completely before cutting.