With the word fried stuffed zucchini we can mean many possibilities but to maintain the lightness characteristics of this fried flower, a simple ricotta filling is probably the best solution.

They are simple to make but not very easy because filling the internal gold is a delicate step.

The flowers must be very fresh to be filled more easily, so that you can open the petals, remove the pistil (which can be bitter) and fill with the prepared filling.

Fried Zucchini/courgettes flowers stuffed with a light ricotta filling

Ingredients

15 zucchini /courgettes flowers

1 egg

1 egg white

3 tbsp. breadcrumbs

1 tbsp. chopped basil

100g =6 tbsp ricotta cheese

100g= grated Parmigiano

2 tbsp 00/all-purpose/plain flour

salt, pepper

Seed oil (sunflower, grape, etc.)

Preparation

Mix together the ricotta, the egg, the parmigiano, the basil and the breadcrumbs.

Season with salt and pepper. Fill the zucchini flower with a little of the mixture.

Then you have various possibility to cook them.

1. Flour the zucchini flower and fry gently in a pan with seed oil.

2. Beat the egg white, roll the stuffed zucchini in the egg white, then in the flour and fry gently in a pan.

3.Bake them in the oven

4.Cook them in a air fryer

Place them on kitchen paper for 5 minutes and then serve them with roasted chickpeas,mozzarella balls or eggplant/aubergine small pizzas

In Italy we have a lot of different recipes for fried  zucchini/courgettes but the common characteristic is their delicate flavor. Stuffed zucchini flowers are crisp little morsels with a tantalizing filling.

You are lucky if you have your own vegetable garden and can harvest the flowers at the right time and prepare them immediately.

When you harvest them, place the stems in a bowl with very cold water, they will last longer and will open completely.

How to choose flowers, certainly male flowers.

How do you tell the difference between male and female squash blossoms? It’s really pretty easy.

Female squash blossoms usually grow close to the center of the plant.

Female squash blossoms have a small swollen embryonic fruit at their base, which will grow into a squash if the bees pollinate them.

 Male squash blossoms tend to hang out on long skinny stalks all along the plant. There are a lot more male squash blossoms than female and they begin blooming earlier.

Male flowers are the ones to harvest for your fried zucchini flowers.