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Zucchini Scarpaccia

Zucchini scarpaccia is a thin, golden Italian zucchini flatbread baked until crisp at the edges and tender inside. This scarpaccia viareggina-style thin zucchini cake is made with salted, squeezed zucchini, a thick batter, and a sheet-pan bake for crackerlike slices.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting batter 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini
  • 3 cup zucchini very thinly sliced on a mandoline
  • 1 tbsp salt for drawing moisture
Dry ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup fine semolina (or all-purpose flour)
  • 0.5 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme or fresh herbs
  • 1 freshly ground black pepper to taste
Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbsp olive oil plus more for pan
Vegetable mix
  • 1 onion, very thinly sliced small onion
  • 1 flaky sea salt for top

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Salt and dry the zucchini
  1. Toss the very thinly sliced zucchini with 1 tablespoon salt and let sit for 30 minutes to draw out moisture.
  2. Rinse the salted zucchini, then squeeze out as much moisture as possible and pat dry.
Mix the thick batter
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and generously oil a large rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, semolina, parmesan, eggs, olive oil, thyme, and black pepper until the batter is thick.
Rest and assemble
  1. Fold in the squeezed zucchini and the very thinly sliced onion, then let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
  2. Pour the batter onto the oiled baking sheet and spread very thin to about 1/4 inch or less.
Bake
  1. Drizzle the surface with olive oil and sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
  2. Bake for 30–35 minutes at 400°F until deeply golden on the bottom and edges and the top is set, then cool 5 minutes.
Slice and serve
  1. Cut into squares or rectangles after cooling and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Key pro tip: squeeze the zucchini very well after rinsing—extra moisture is the main reason scarpaccia won’t turn crisp and crackerlike. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; rewarm in a 400°F oven for 5–8 minutes to re-crisp. Freezing: no, texture can turn soggy after thawing. Dietary swap: use a grated pecorino romano instead of parmesan for a sharper flavor while keeping the same structure.