Food Network Star's Italian Zucchini Scarpaccia Recipe Is As Good As It Looks by Jan Mostrom

I found this recipe for zucchini scarpaccia by the amazing Giada De Laurentiis and was so eager to try it. This one is very similar to Giada's original recipe, but I added a few extra spices to really bring out the crisp and salty flavor of the scarpaccia. 

Scarpaccia is a rustic Italian tart that originated in Tuscany. You don’t have to live in Italy to enjoy this traditional Italian recipe tonight. Here is your shopping list to make this yummy Italian recipe: olive oil, fresh zucchini (check out the health benefits of zucchini), salt, rice flour, fine cornmeal, grated Parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and eggs.

This high-protein zucchini tart looks so pretty and tastes even better than it looks. Serve this vegetarian Italian tart as an appetizer, for lunch, as a light dinner with a salad or as a side dish with any dinner. 

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
 (divided)
• 2 large zucchini, sliced thinly into rounds (roughly 3 1/2 packed cups)

• 2 teaspoons salt
 (divided)
• 1/2 cup rice flour

• 1 cup fine cornmeal

• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 large eggs


Here's how to make it: 

1. Place a piece of parchment in a 13x9-inch baking pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over it using clean hands to spread it evenly around the bottom and up the sides halfway. Set to the side.
   
2. Slice zucchini nice and thin and place in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss to combine and set aside for about 15 minutes to let the zucchini release it’s water. After about 15 minutes squeeze out the extra water into the bowl and set zucchini on some paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to press out any more moisture. You really want to get rid of as much of the moisture as possible. Make sure to keep 1/4 cup of the excess water from the zucchini bowl to use in the recipe. (If you don’t have enough add extra water to the zucchini water to make 1/4 cup. It’s really important to get as much of the moisture out of the zucchini as possible to make sure the scarpaccia gets very crispy.)
   
3. After saving the water, rinse and dry your bowl and add in rice flour, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Mix together.
   
4. Add eggs, zucchini water and olive oil. Use a spatula or spoon to mix until the thick batter is combined.
   
5. Fold in the zucchini.
   
6. Spread the dough evenly into the pan, pressing the mixture down.
   
7. Bake in a preheated 425-degree F oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until it is crispy and golden. Remove from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.
   
8. Top with flaky salt, arugula and a little squeeze of lemon juice, if desired. Taste and add more salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, if needed. Serve and enjoy! (I topped my zucchini scarpaccia with fresh arugula and fresh lemon juice, but this is optional. You could also serve it with marinara sauce.)
   

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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