Delicate, golden and impossibly light, the zucchini flower is one of the true treasures of the season. Whether you prefer them stuffed and fried to a crisp, folded through pasta, or layered in elegant salads, these zucchini flower recipes celebrate their delicate flavour and beautiful appearance.
Zucchini flowers are usually sold with the baby zucchini fruit attached. Female flowers are directly attached to the zucchini, while male flowers are linked by a stem. The flowers are extremely perishable – they’re best used on the day of purchase.
To prepare, gently wash them in a bowl of water, trim off the zucchini fruit, and remove the pistil (from female flowers) and stamen (from male flowers). Store zucchini flowers in the refrigerator by placing them on a paper towel and sealing them in an airtight ziplock bag.
Here are our best zucchini flower recipes to make the most of the in-season produce.
Best zucchini flower recipes:
Zucchini flowers with ricotta, parmesan, and mint and anchovy sauce
Zucchini and kataifi fritters
Woodcut’s zucchini flowers, brown rice, tomato, vine leaves and yoghurt
Sean Moran’s spring ravioli with peas, ricotta and zucchini flowers
Giovanni Pilu’s mussels and fregola
Alla Wolf-Tasker’s tempura zucchini flowers
Fino’s grilled peach, zucchini flowers and stracciatella
Zucchini flower, asparagus and fennel salad
Ocean trout with calamari, cherry tomato and zucchini flower salad
Osteria Ilaria’s zucchini flowers stuffed with almond purée and aïoli
Roast stuffed zucchini flowers with tomato and oregano
Zucchini flower, lemon and ricotta strozzapreti
Hot-smoked mullet with zucchini flowers, peas and mint
Fusilli with zucchini flowers and ricotta salata
Stuffed zucchini flowers with basil sauce
Rice salad with zucchini flowers, peas, beans and mint
Zucchini flower, mint and pecorino penne
Stuffed zucchini flowers
Chickpea, broad bean, zucchini flower, preserved lemon and ricotta salad
Roast lemon chicken with warm zucchini flower salad
Sautéed zucchini flowers with lemon, chilli and garlic
Speedy yoghurt flatbread with zucchini flowers and feta
Zucchini flowers FAQs
Yes, you can eat the flowers on zucchinis. These are often referred to as ‘zucchini flowers’ or sometimes as ‘zucchini blossoms’ or ‘squash blossoms’, depending on what country you’re in. They have a delicate flavour similar to zucchini and are edible raw or cooked. You can stuff, fry, grill, or add them to dishes like salads, pastas or rice.
Whichever way you decide to serve zucchini flowers — be it raw, battered, pan-fried or stuffed — you can’t go wrong. Delicious on their own or as an add-on to provide texture and subtle flavour to a dish, they’re a winner in our books, and something we pounce on when the season comes around.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
