Lucca Sample Recipes

Lake Como

Sample Recipes

FIORI DE ZUCCA RIPIENE CON ROBIOLA
Robiola Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

10 Servings

Robiola is a Lombardian cheese. Rich and creamy with a bouncy texture and fresh milky taste. It has a soft white edible rind and is perfect for stuffing flowers.

Sauté the onion and garlic until lightly browned to concentrate their flavor and use a good amount of freshly chopped flat parsley to add depth to this dish. Serve these flowers hot over a very simple and light tomato sauté.

20 large male zucchini blossoms
¾ pound Robiola cheese
¼ pound fresh dry Ricotta cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup pale breadcrumbs
2 whole eggs
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion finely minced
2 cloves garlic finely minced
½ cup freshly chopped parsley
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large salad bowl crumble the Robiola into small pieces. Mix in the Ricotta, Parmesan, breadcrumbs and whole eggs. Season and set aside.

In a small non-stick pan heat the olive oil and in it sauté the onion and garlic until golden. Remove from the heat and add the parsley while still warm to release its flavor. Let cool slightly and mix into the cheese mixture. Taste for salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Brush a 20 x 12 inch baking dish with a little olive oil.

Rinse the flowers if sandy and pat them dry with paper towel. Gently remove the pistil from each flower. Stuff the flowers using a teaspoon trying not to rip them too much. Seal any big tears and place in the baking dish.

Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until lightly browned. Serve the flowers hot from the oven over a simple sauté of freshly peeled, seeded and cubed tomato dice.