Delicate zucchini blossoms stuffed with a savoury crab and ricotta filling, then drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with bread crumbs, and baked to creamy perfection - it's the taste of summer (and a way to keep those prolific zucchini plants in check!)
It's that time of year again - the zucchinis are winning the garden war.
But I'm not going to let them.
My solution is to nip them in the bud . . . cut off their blossoms, that is, and stuff 'em!
And then bake 'em and eat 'em. And totally enjoy them.
Somehow, in a moment of craziness, I planted a whole row of zucchini plants in the garden this spring. What was I thinking?!
So, my plan has been to pick them small and often, and to pick as many blossoms as I can, so that less of those little rascals can grow into massive zucchini boats.
Those blossoms and baby zucchinis have proven to be a delicious addition to our summer menus. They are very tasty, just chopped and added to stir-fries, soups, pizzas, or even baked into focaccia. But my favourite thing is to stuff them. Dipping the stuffed blossoms in batter and deep-frying them is the traditional and decidedly decadent thing to do, but I feel a little more virtuous when I bake them, and we sure enjoy them that way.
Baked Crab-Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms - Yum!
The light sprinkling of bread crumbs and generous drift of Parmesan makes the outsides crunchy and cheesy, while the insides just ooze with sweet crab meat and creamy ricotta laced with fresh basil and chives - so good.
I love that you can serve these stuffed zucchini blossoms with a glass of cold, crisp white wine as an elegant appetizer course, or pile them up and devour them with your fingers as soon as they come out of the oven. Of course, they make a delightful side dish, too.
What You'll Need to Make 'Em
- zucchini blossoms, of course - if you don't have them in the garden, local farmer's markets often carry them in the summertime
- ricotta cheese - drain it in a coffee filter or fine sieve for a half hour or so if it's got a lot of liquid in it
- crab meat - canned crab meat works well here, but if you've got cooked fresh crab - all the better
- egg yolk - as a gentle binder
- breadcrumbs - to soak up extra liquid and also help bind the filling. Use gluten-free ones, if necessary.
- basil - fresh is best here
- chives - or green onions
- anchovies - they provide a hit of umami, and they're so finely chopped you honestly don't taste them. You can use anchovy paste instead, or if you don't want to use anchovies, add a minced clove of garlic instead, or finely minced sun-dried tomatoes
Prepare the Zucchini Blossoms
Zucchini blossoms are very delicate, so if you can avoid washing them, that is the best, or just lightly rinse the outsides of them. If they just have a bit of garden soil on them, you can brush it off with a soft brush, like a mushroom brush.
Zucchini flowers are male and female. The ones with a small zucchini attached underneath are the females and the ones attached to a simple thin stem are the males. You will need to gently reach into each blossom with your fingers and snap off the pollen-producing stamen from the male flowers and the pollen-receiving stigmas from the female flowers as these can be bitter. The stigmas in the female flowers are sticky so they can catch the pollen from the bees that bring it in from the male flowers. You might tear the delicate flower petals in the process, but that is unavoidable, and they can be twisted back up again when they are stuffed.
Easy Peasy Baked Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Mix up the filling ingredients with a fork,
Lay out the stuffed zucchini blossoms on a lightly oiled baking sheet. (Some of them may un-twist, but that's okay.)
Bake the stuffed zucchini blossoms until the edges are crispy and browned and the blossoms are tender.
Dive in and enjoy!
More Zucchini Recipes
Every year my zucchini harvest seems to get the best of me, but here are some tasty things I do to fight the battle:
- Zucchini Frittata Loaf
- Deliciously Creamy Zucchini Soup
- Zucchini Chocolate Cake
- Spicy Zucchini Salsa
- Crustless Zucchini Pie and Zucchini Fritters
- Zucchini Salad and Herb Vinaigrette
- Sweet 'n Tangy Zucchini Relish
- Zucchini Butter
- Zucchini Stacks
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Guten Appetit!
Baked Crab-Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Ingredients
- 16-20 zucchini blossoms
- 1 can crab meat (170 g/120 g drained weight) or ⅔ cup (120 g) flaked cooked crab meat
- ½ cup (120 g) ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup (30 g) fine, dry breadcrumbs, gluten-free, if necessary
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup finely choppped chives or green onions
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
to top zucchini blossoms:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fine, dry breadcrumbs, gluten-free, if necessary
- 1 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Lightly grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220℃).
- Mix together the crab meat, ricotta, ¼ cup breadcrumbs, egg yolk, basil, chives, salt, and pepper to make the filling.
- Prepare the zucchini blossoms: gently brush off any soil with a soft brush. Reach into each blossom and pinch out the stamen or stigma and discard them. If the petals tear, you can twist them back together when they are stuffed.
- Stuff each blossom with about one tablespoon of the crab filling and twist the ends closed.
- Lay the filled zucchini blossoms in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup breadcrumbs and then top with the Parmesan cheese, trying to mound it on top of each blossom.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges of the zucchini blossoms are crispy and any mini zucchinis attached are tender crisp.
- Serve immediately.
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