We recently spent several days at Il Falconiere, a spectacular Relais & Châteaux hotel and spa, Baracchi winery and cooking school, located in Cortona Italy. During our stay we enjoyed time in the kitchen of the 1-Michelin star, IL Falconiere Restaurant with Chef Richard Titi. In the next few weeks, we will be featuring several of Chef Titi’s recipes, that we made during our stay. Stuffed Zucchini Flowers were definitely one of our favorites. If you would like to see some photos of the winery and cooking school, please follow the links above.
The stuffed zucchini can be served with or without sauce and is delicious either way.
Wash the flowers and drain thoroughly, using a colander. Sauté the onion in olive oil until soft. Add the zucchini, cook it also begins to soften, add the mint, salt and pepper. Reserve zucchini, allowing it to cool. Prepare the stuffing by mixing the minted zucchini, 1 TB of olive oil, 1 whole egg, chopped basil, nutmeg and ricotta cheese. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano to the mixture and blend. Add bread crumbs to the mixture and blend, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fill a pastry bag or plastic bag with the ricotta mixture. Open up the flowers with your fingers and fill them very carefully with the stuffing. Pinch or gently twist the top of the flower to hold the stuffing in. Arrange the flowers on a parchment lined, baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with lemon thyme, torn basil leaves and arrange the cherry tomatoes and sliced garlic around the flowers. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
Zucchini Flowers
- 12 fresh, large zucchini flowers
- a handful of golden cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 C Whole Milk Ricotta
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 1 large spring or sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 C vegetable oil
- 1 TB spoon plus a drizzle of olive oil
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 2 TB of Parmigiano Reggiano
- small bunch of basil leaves chopped, plus 4-6 torn leaves
- small bunch of mint leaves chopped
- small bunch of lemon thyme leaves or plain thyme leaves
- 1 egg
- 2 TB of fresh bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
- 1 bunch each of basil, flat leaf parsley and mint, leaves only washed and dried
- 1/2 lemon juiced, or more to taste
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 TB pine nuts
- 2 TB Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 C of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Additional Garnish Suggestions (pictured)
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 4 uncut chives
- 4 stops of pickled or purple onions
Instructions
Zucchini Flowers
- Using your fingers or long hobby tweezer (reserved for kitchen use) carefully remove the bulb of the flower by reaching into the flower and pulling it from the base. Try not to tear the flowers.
- Wash the flowers and drain thoroughly, using a colander.
- Sauté the onion in olive oil until soft.
- Add the zucchini, cook it also begins to soften, add the mint, salt and pepper.
- Reserve zucchini, allowing it to cool…
- Prepare the stuffing by mixing the minted zucchini, 1 TB of olive oil, 1 whole egg, chopped basil, nutmeg and ricotta cheese.
- Add the Parmigiano Reggiano to the mixture and blend.
- Add bread crumbs to the mixture and blend, season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill a pastry bag or plastic bag with the ricotta mixture.
- Open up the flowers with your fingers and fill them very carefully with the stuffing. Pinch or gently twist the top of the flower to hold the stuffing in.
- Arrange the flowers on a parchment lined, baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with lemon thyme, torn basil leaves and arrange the cherry tomatoes and sliced garlic around the flowers.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Sauce
- Combine, herbs, eggs, pine nuts, cheese, olive oil and lemon juice, season lightly with salt and pepper.
Serve
- Pour sauce on each of 4 plates or 1 large platter, arrange three zucchini flowers on each plate, slightly overlapping, garnish with a sprig of thyme or for a real WOW factor, as suggested below,
- garnish with a fresh thyme sprig or chives and sliver of onion.
Notes
Recipe Courtesy of Chef Richard Titi from Michelin Star, Ristorante Il Falconiere
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