Easy Fried Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms
These Easy Fried Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms are a simple appetizer that will impress any crowd! Also called Fiori di Zucca, it starts with a simple ricotta mixture piped inside squash blossoms and fried in a two-ingredient tempura batter.
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 squash blossoms with the stem only or with the zucchini attached
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta
- zest and juice of 1 medium lemon adjust with more if preferred
- 1 grated garlic clove
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups seltzer
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Make your ricotta mixture. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic clove, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Make the tempura batter by mixing flour and seltzer together. Get the squash blossoms and pull open the petals. Gently stuff with the ricotta mixture (it may be easiest using a piping bag or a plastic bag with a hole cut at the bottom). Set aside until ready to fry.
- Heat up a deep skillet on medium-high heat with vegetable oil until HOT. Take your stuffed squash blossoms and place in the tempura batter, shake off excess and fry in the oil until done. Finish with flakey salt and lemon juice.
Video
Notes
- How to Clean Squash Blossoms: Squash blossoms are very delicate. Gently pat dry and carefully remove the stamen/pistil from inside the flower, this taste can sometimes come off bitter.
- For the filling: If you don't have a piping bag, use a plastic Ziploc bag to stuff in your ricotta mixture towards an outer corner of the bag, close tightly to remove the air, and cut a small part of the corner to pipe into the blossoms.
- Chill before frying: Transfer your stuffed squash blossoms to the fridge to set for 5 to 10 minutes to firm them up before frying if you're ricotta mixture is not super thick.
- Make sure your oil is around 350-375°F! If it's not hot enough, then the oil with soak until the delicate blossoms and not crisp, but too hot, they'll burn too quickly. Do a test with 1 blossom first before you add the rest in.
- Cheese Swap: Instead of ricotta, you can use goat cheese, whipped ricotta, or mascarpone cheese, too. Add a little bit of pecorino or parmesan cheese to the creamy mixture. You can also make this vegan by using vegan almond ricotta.
- Club Soda swap: If you want, you can also sub out the club soda with beer for another bubbly, fluffy tempura batter.
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg