Recipes
Courgette flowers, what a passion: the best recipes to try!
Let's find out which are the best recipes with courgette flowers: delicious first courses, side dishes and main courses to be made with these wonderful vegetables!
Zucchini flowers are a real treat and there are many dishes that can be created with this wonderful ingredient : they are delicious fried, baked, stuffed, or even used in first courses such as pasta and risotto!
There are two types of this ingredient: in addition to courgette flowers, in fact, which are obtained from pumpkins, there are also courgette flowers, which are slightly more pointed at the ends of the petals and have a color that goes more towards orange. However, their flavor is very similar, although the courgette flowers are more fragrant and robust , therefore ideal for filling.
In addition to being tasty and colorful , these vegetables are also rich in nutritional properties: very low in fat (just 0.4% g per 100 g), they contain 90% water and are then rich in mineral salts and proteins , as well as vitamins, especially A. They are also low in calories (12 for every 100 g) and therefore perfect for those on a diet.
In short, can you perhaps find any fault with them? So, if like us you love them madly , follow us in the kitchen and let's start seeing some recipes!
How to clean courgette flowers
Before starting to cook, however, we need to quickly see how to clean the courgette flowers, so that they are ready to go with our fabulous recipes!
First of all, make sure you have bought them fresh, you can easily find them at the market or in the supermarkets in your area, especially in the period from May to August .
If you have the opportunity, choose ones that are slightly open, as this will make it easier to clean them without damaging them . Pay attention to the consistency : they must be well toned, hard and not have brown and soft parts.
Once chosen, just soak them in a bowl with cold water, rinse them quickly and then dry them with a kitchen towel or paper. Touch the leaves as little as possible, especially if you need them whole for your recipes.
Now remove the pistil from inside the corolla with the help of a small knife and remove the lower part of the stem if necessary!
How to cook courgette flowers: delicious recipes
View? Cleaning these flowers is really very simple , it's actually what really matters is choosing them well, that they are fresh and intact. The time has therefore come to put us in the kitchen . We couldn't wait, and you? Then follow us, because we begin!
1. Risotto with courgette flowers
By now you know, we are big fans of risotto , and therefore we could not start with a wonderful and colorful risotto with zucchini flowers.
This is a cheerful, fragrant dish, in short, one that puts you in a good mood from the first forkful. To do this, we advise you to use at least fifteen flowers for every 4 portions: you will have to cook the stem separately in a pan, or in the same pot as the rice, while instead you can insert the flowers towards the end, cutting them roughly or keeping some aside as decorative element .
For pairings, you can really range with your imagination: cheese, bacon, raw ham or other vegetables . Just try not to overwhelm the delicate taste of the flowers!
2. Zucchini flower pasta
Pasta with courgette flowers is a delicious dish and can be prepared in many different ways and variations, all of them delicious and full of colour.
Just as we have seen for risotto, here too the rule is simple: the stems are cooked in a pan, cut into rounds or julienne strips and seasoned in a simple way, while the flowers are added either during the creaming phase or at the end of cooking.
Now let's talk about combinations: an onion is always welcome, while instead to accompany the delicacy of the flower we would also opt for bacon, bacon or in any case a protein and savory element. Even cheese or eggs can be useful, perhaps creating a cremetta to cream the pasta on the wave of carbonara or gricia.
If, on the other hand, you want to keep it simple, drain the pasta and toss it in a pan with a little cooking water, a nice sprinkling of Parmesan and you're done!
3. Stuffed courgette flowers
We know you've been waiting for this recipe… because we couldn't wait to make it too ! However the truth is that there is no real recipe in this sense, but only technique and imagination .
Let's explain ourselves better: the real secret of this dish is the filling , and here everyone has their own. There are those who prefer them with mozzarella, ricotta and ham, those who prepare chopped ham and then mix it with ricotta, pepper, salt, oil and herbs, those who use ground meat, those with potatoes… in short, we certainly won't stay here tell you which stuffing to make, because they are all delicious !
You can prepare both stuffed zucchini flowers in the oven and zucchini flowers in a pan. The first cooking will be less violent, the second faster and with a more crunchy result. In any case, the only thing you have to pay attention to is cleaning the flowers well and stuffing them delicately, without breaking the leaves.
Choose the ingredients you like best and make fantastic stuffed zucchini flowers !
4. Courgette flowers in batter
Fried courgette flowers are delicious, perfect to eat with your hands both natural and accompanied by a delicious sauce , and then they are very easy to prepare!
The fundamental thing here is the batter for the courgette flowers: the ingredients are always the same, water, flour, beer, a pinch of sugar and salt. Once prepared you will simply have to dive the flowers and then drain them well, finally fry them in abundant seed oil!
Dry them with absorbent paper and serve the fried still hot to enjoy it at its best.
Read also
Zucchini flowers in the air fryer
5. Squash blossom pancakes
We always talk about fried, but the recipe is different. The pancakes prepared with courgette flowers are delicious and a little more elaborate than simple flowers in batter, but trust me, it will be worth it!
Also in this case you will have to prepare the batter, then you will have to dip the courgette flowers into it and if you want some other delicious ingredients , such as a pinch of pepper, grated cheese and whatever you want.
Once the dough is finished, make balls and fry them, then serve them in the classic cone made with fried paper, and don't forget to salt them!
6. Courgette flower omelette
How good are the flowers in the omelette ! This is a fun dish, in the sense that you can really indulge yourself and prepare the type of omelette you like best. Eggs, flowers, salt and pepper are mandatory, then we recommend a lot of grated cheese for flavor and if you want the classic tall omelette , even a slice of bread soaked in milk.
After that, if it's to your taste, the fantasy moment starts: ham, salami, cheese, leftovers from the fridge… in short, the omelette is beautiful for this, isn't it? Experiment and have fun !
7. Zucchini flowers in a pan
We end our review of recipes with courgette flowers with some classic pan-fried flowers . The recipe is very quick, you just have to pay attention to the cooking : the flowers are very delicate, so we advise you not to leave the pan while it is on the fire to avoid disasters in the kitchen.
After having washed and cleaned the flowers (eliminating the stem and pistil), cut them and put them in a pan after heating a drizzle of oil with a clove of garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes , then add 1 ladle of water, close the lid and lower the heat, leaving it to cook for another 5-6 minutes . And here they are ready!
If you like , you can enrich them with a few spoonfuls of grated cheese and a little more pepper.
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