Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms

 

Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms are batter fried squash blossoms stuffed only with Ricotta cheese to emphasize their tender and delicate flavour. It is an Italian light and crispy late summer treat!

 

This simply stuffed squash flower recipe is the best one to start with. It seems for us that goat cheese is too strong to use, so to start with, I suggest mozzarella or ricotta so you can fully experience this seasonal treasure, so creamy and crispy! Please forget the garlic also. At least for the first time cooking these blossoms stuffed easy way. Once you taste them, you can easily decide what to use next but it’s the best to add some fresh basil or beets spread aside as we did.

 

What are squash blossoms?

In Italy, they are known as fiori di zucca, edible flowers of squash and pumpkin plants. It is not easy to get them at street market. The easiest is if you have a garden on your own so you grow them. I managed to get some for us and made this stuffed squash blossoms.

Although people cook zucchini blossoms in most of the cases, I did not get any but managed to find hokkaido ones. They also have mild and subtle squash flavor.

What does Hokkaido squash taste like?

Hokkaido pumpkins share their mild sweet taste with other pumpkin varieties, with the added bonus of a full, nutty accent. The flesh is firm in texture and not overly fleshy. Its delicate taste that makes the Hokkaido pumpkin more versatile than just as a soup. The skin is edible as well.

For more information about hokkaido, please visit this page.

 

These edible flowers are very tender. I bought them in the morning and prepared the same day for lunch. Since the heat is on, I did not leave them at room temperature but stored in the fridge. They can stay fresh that way for one day. Lay them on paper towel and cover with one as well. Even stored this way, they start to shrivel within few hours!

 

What do squash blossoms taste like?

They have slightly floral mild flavour and it makes them the best match for that kind of cheese or eggs. If you wonder which spices or herbs to use, well, we make it as simple as possible. Salt them and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Honestly I skip even pepper.

The question of all questions is where to buy squash blossoms!

If you have neighbour growing zucchini or any other squash, try to make friends 😊 and do your best to get some. Street market is our source of supply. I guess you cannot get it at supermarket since they are too delicate to handle!

To find out how to pickle squash blossoms, look at Olivewoodgardens .