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Scarpaccia is an Italian zucchini tart full of fantastic flavor!
Every Italian family (and every non-Italian family for that matter!) needs a good Scarpaccia in their recipe collection. Scarpaccia is a delicious zucchini tart or flatbread with such fantastic flavors – we would eat this dish every week if we could!
Scarpaccia is a dish that originates from the Tuscan coastal areas around Viagreggio, an Italian city that Jack and I visited on our honeymoon. The name is loosely translated as meaning ‘bad shoe’ and some sources say this dish got its name because it bakes up as thin as the sole of a bad shoe! Other sources describe a ‘bad shoe’ as one that has been worn by many family members, and scarpaccia is a tart that you can put anything into – like a bad shoe.
Whichever definition you prefer, scarpaccia was traditionally baked during the zucchini season by retired sailors using the vegetables from their garden. Scarpaccia traditionally includes zucchini flowers – however most people don’t have access to that ingredient year-round, so we made ours with thinly sliced zucchini. (If you are able to find zucchini flowers, by all means add it – and just cut back a bit on the amount of sliced zucchini called for in this recipe.)
Scarpaccia can be made sweet or savory, thin or thick, crisp or soft – as long as the common ingredients of zucchini and flour are used. Our version – inspired by both Jack’s own family recipe, as well as a recipe we brought home from our honeymoon – has a touch of sweetness along with wonderful savory flavors from sundried tomatoes, basil and thyme and Parmesan cheese. It also has a bit of texture thanks to adding corn meal as well as the addition of pine nuts to the batter.
Served warm out of the oven with a side salad, this scarpaccia makes a truly wonderful lunch or dinner. Enjoy!
This post was originally published in May 2014.
You may enjoy these other Zucchini recipes:
- Best Zucchini Bread Ever
- Baked Zucchini Fries
- 30+ Recipes for Your Garden Zucchini
- Zucchini and Eggs (Cocozelle)
- Italian Zucchini Stew
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Scarpaccia
Ingredients
- 2 pounds zucchini
- 1 red onion (about 1/2 pound)
- 2 cups tightly packed baby spinach
- 1 8.5–ounce jar sundried tomatoes in oil
- 1 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, plus one teaspoon for garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups corn meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Approximately 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or enough to add to the oil drained from jar of sundried tomatoes to equal 1 full cup), plus more for drizzling
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a 12X16 inch sheet pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
- Slice zucchini into very thin slices and place in a large bowl. Slice red onion into very thin slices and add to zucchini. Also add baby spinach to bowl.
- Drain oil from sundried tomatoes into a cup measure and set oil aside. Cut tomatoes into quarters and add to bowl with other vegetables.
- Add pine nuts, basil, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, salt and pepper to the large bowl with vegetables and toss all ingredients together.
- In a separate smaller bowl mix flour, corn meal and baking powder. Add this to the large bowl and toss again to mix the ingredients.
- In that same smaller bowl, beat eggs and sugar and add to the large bowl, mixing into ingredients.
- Take the reserved cup measure with the oil drained from the tomatoes and add enough olive oil to fill one cup. Add to the large bowl, mixing to combine.
- Finally, slowly mix in the water to the large bowl, only using enough to make a thin batter. You may not need all of the water.
- Pour batter into the prepared sheet pan, drizzle the top with olive oil and bake for 55-60 minutes.
- When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese all over the top and drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle the remaining thyme over the top.
- Cut into squares and serve.
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This is divine
Thanks Patricia!
This was a super good recipe. I made it twice once as written and once for our luncheon with substitutions due to dietary needs. We have v/gf family members so I subbed 1 cup of GF flour 1/2 c arrowroot flour, just egg and v parm cheese. I did halve the sugar in both versions per other reviews. This version turned out every bit as good as the original recipe. Everyone loved it! Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks Rebecca – glad to know that your gluten free swaps were just as good!
This recipe was a total inspiration! I have a few dietary sensitivities so I made a couple changes.. only 2 med zucchini, 16 oz. bag of rainbow kale (neeeded to be used plus less oxalate then spinach-zucchini has enough) that I sautéed to reduce it’s bulk. I’ve been low carb\gf for a while so I racked my brain for how I could create something I could eat out of this amazing recipe! For the flour/ corn meal I subbed ; 1- 7 oz.pkg of ground lupin & a 1/2 c. Each of coconut flour, pork panko & nutritional yeast. Everything else the same. It came out very good, but I’ll make a few changes next time. 4 eggs for sure(needed more binding) and maybe some garlic sautéed with the kale.. I really appreciate these recipes like yours.. I needed to come up with new that is yummy!
Glad you were able to adapt the recipe to suit your diet Vivian!
I was looking forward to this but it doesn’t have a nice flavour or texture… waste of zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese , olive oil etc. All ingredients expensive now, sad I wasted my money!!
Sorry you were disappointed Jackie. We just got a five-star rating from another reader – I’m noticing that our readers either love this recipe or hate it.
This recipe taste so Italian. It is delicious, I have made it eight times. I’d I have try using almond flour I have tried using honey I have tried cooking it at 3:50 which I like better it’s not so burnt on the top. I also suggest putting tinfoil under your pan because the olive oil spilled over onto my stove, making it smoky in house. This recipe is a keeper. It doesn’t last more than a day in my house. OK two. As always when you change the ingredients it change the consistency. I think the original recipe was the best. Was trying to go gluten free, back to the cooking board. Good luck! Enjoy
Thank you Gail!
i was skeptical at first as most recipes call for draining the onion/zucchini mix for 2 hours. but this was delicious! I served it with a dollop of ricotta cheese and it was superb! my husband was impressed.
Thank you Julia – glad you enjoyed the recipe!
One of the best recipes I have ever tried, very interesting.
Thank you Karen!
Thanks for the recipe, this turned out great! I am always glad to find new ways to use my zucchini harvest 😀
Glad you enjoyed it Abbee!
With so many beautiful veggies from the farm share, I was elated to find this recipe. It really is stunning when it’s baked. However, I struggled to balance the sweet with the savory. If I make it again, I will leave the sugar out and add more salt and pepper to veggie mix.
Sorry you were disappointed Jessie
This was a fantastic recipe as is. I am going to reduce the sugar the next time I make it and add garlic powder to make it less sweet and more savory but all in all it was a delicious surprise and a great way to.use those zucchini that pop up.and surprise us in the garden. A mandolin made short work if slicing the zucchini and onion. I also used a 3oz bag of sundried tomatoes not in oil and a full cup of olive oil.
Thanks Michelle!