Now here’s something different you can do with zucchini: dessert! Believe it or not, the mild flavor of zucchini lends itself as nicely to sweet dishes as it does to savory ones. And this dish is the proof: scarpaccia dolce from the northern Tuscan coastal town of Viareggio. And no, it’s not some new-fangled idea. This recipe goes back to the year 1300. You can read the backstory on its curious name (which means “old shoe”) and interesting origins in the Notes below.
Scarpaccia is super-simple to make. You simply mix up the batter, fold in thinly sliced or shredded zucchini, pour it all into a well buttered baking pan, and it’s into the oven for about hour or so. Let your scarpaccia cool and enjoy, dusted with confectioner’s sugar if you like. Besides dessert, it’s delicious with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning or mid-afternoon.
Ingredients
- 400-500g (1 lb or a bit less) zucchini, trimmed and shredded or very thinly sliced
For the batter:
- 200g (1-2/3 cups) flour
- 225g (1-1/4 cups) sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 475ml (2 cups) milk
- 1 egg (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Grated zest of one lemon
For baking and serving:
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Confectioner’s sugar
Directions
Trim off both ends of each zucchini, then either shred them on the coarse side of cheese grater, or slice them as thinly as you can manage. (If you have one, a mandolin, set to its thinnest setting, is ideal for the job.) Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer) mix the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the milk, vanilla extract and grated lemon zest until you have a smooth batter. Fold the shredded or sliced zucchini into the batter.
Butter a baking dish generously, then pour in the zucchini batter. Drizzle a bit of olive on top, then place in a hot (200C/400F) oven for about an hour, until cooked through and nicely browned on top.
Check on your scarpaccia every 20 minutes or so. If it’s getting a bit too brown for your liking, you can lower the oven temperature to 180C/350F. On the other hand, if towards the end of baking you find your scarpaccia isn’t brown enough, you can run the cake under the broiler for a few minutes.
Remove from the oven and set the baking pan on a rack. Let cool completely.
Serve your scarpaccia at room temperature, dusted with confectioners sugar.
Notes on Scarpaccia dolce
Ideally, you’ll use young and tender zucchini with light green skins for your scarpaccia. Their delicate taste and texture lends itself so well to this sweet treatment. Older zucchini can have a slightly bitter quality and, if they’re really old, get rather watery, too. So-called baby zucchini, which you can sometimes find packaged in better supermarkets, would work perfectly. But so long as your zucchini aren’t too long in the tooth, they should also do fine.
I used a round springform baking pan to make my scarpaccia, and it worked perfectly. It allowed me to release the sides for quicker cooling and serving. But you will also see scarpaccia made in baking sheet and cut into squares. Either way, it shouldn’t be terribly thick. Although often translated as a “zucchini cake”, scarpaccia is more of a tart, both in its relative thinness and in its custard-like texture.
The recipe in this post is adapted from a recipe in La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy, published in the US by the Accademia Italiana della Cucina. The only major change I made was to add an egg to the batter, which is something I’ve found in every Italian language source. And I’ve sliced rather than shredded the zucchini as La Cucina suggests. Again, every Italian language source I’ve seen tells you to slice them. My only guess is that the Accademia recipe is compensating for the larger zucchini you tend to find in the US. And yes, if your zucchini are very large, perhaps it’s better to shred them. And if they look watery, let them stand for a while to wilt and squeeze them dry before adding them to the batter.
Variations
Although iconic Italian recipes are notorious for their multifarious variations, the recipes for this one are remarkably consistent. The one thing that does vary a lot from recipe to recipe is the ratio of zucchini to batter ingredients. A good number of recipes call for less batter than in the La Cucina recipe, and a few even more, but I was happy with the balance here. The actual contents of the batter tend to be pretty uniform, but some recipes have you throw a few basil leaves in, and some a spoonful or so of melted butter or oil. And, as mentioned, most—but not all—recipes call for an egg or sometimes two. In one recipe I’ve seen, almonds are also added in.
Scarpaccia comes both sweet and savory. (Hence the “dolce“, meaning sweet in Italian, in the name of this version of the dish.) In the neighboring town of Camaiore, they make a savory scarpaccia in much the same way as Viareggio’s sweet one, but without the sugar, of course. Thinly sliced tender spring onions and zucchini flowers are added to the batter along with the zucchini. For this savory version of scarpaccia, fresh herbs and oil or melted butter are de rigueur. And grated cheese can go in as well.
The name and origins of Scarpaccia
The name scarpaccia, by the way, means “old shoe”. It certainly doesn’t make the dish sound very appetizing. Although the etymology is uncertain, according to local lore the dish gets its odd name because a properly made scarpaccia should be thin and a bit crusty, just like an old shoe. Another story has it that scarpaccia goes back to Castruccio Castracani, the consul of Lucca and lord of a castle nearby the tiny village of Colognora. One day around the year 1300, short on victuals, he called on the local peasants for help. All he managed to coax out of them, though, were lots of surplus zucchini, some flour and a few eggs. With little alternative, Castracani ordered his cooks to just mix the peasants’ offerings together and cook them up. And so, they say, scarpaccia was born, made of poor and humble ingredients, just like an old shoe.
Historical note: As an astute reader pointed out, zucchini is a New World import and wasn’t around in 1300. But Europe did have a zucchini-like native gourd Lagenaria siceraria, called calabash in English back then called zucca in Italian. (These days, zucca means pumpkin, another New World import.) If you know the popular Sicilian vegetable called cucuzza, it’s apparently very similar. I’m fairly sure that’s what the peasants actually offered up to their local lord, assuming the story is true.
The use of vegetables in a sweet dish is unusual in Italian cookery, to say the least, although scarpaccia dolce isn’t entirely unique. Another vegetable-based dessert that comes to mind is melanzane al cioccolato, a sweet dish of eggplant in chocolate sauce from Campania. And then there’s tortelli di zucca, where the pumpkin filling has a certain sweetness from amaretti cookies, although the dish on the whole is a savory one. Beyond that, I’m hamstrung trying to come up with other examples. (Dear readers, feel free to chime in if you know of other examples.) Of course, the idea may not seem quite as unusual to Americans, who love their Carrot Cake and their Pumpkin Pie.
Scarpaccia dolce viareggina
Ingredients
- 400-500g 1 lb or a bit less zucchini trimmed and shredded or very thinly sliced
For the batter:
- 200g 1-2/3 cup flour
- 225g 1-1/4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 475ml 2 cups milk
- 1-2 eggs optional
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zest of grated
For baking and serving:
- butter
- olive oil
- confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Trim off both ends of each zucchini, then either shred them on the coarse side of cheese grater, or slice them as thinly as you can manage. (If you have one, a mandolin, set to its thinnest setting, is ideal for the job.) Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer) mix the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the milk, vanilla extract and grated lemon zest until you have a smooth batter. Fold the shredded or sliced zucchini into the batter.
- Butter a baking dish generously, then pour in the zucchini batter. Drizzle a bit of olive on top, then place in a hot (200C/400F) oven for about an hour, until cooked through and nicely browned on top.
- While it's baking, check on your scarpaccia every 20 minutes or so. If it's getting a bit too brown for your liking, you can lower the oven temperature to 180C/350F. On the other hand, if towards the end of baking you find your scarpaccia isn't brown enough, you can run the cake under the broiler for a few minutes at the end.
- Remove from the oven and set the baking pan on a rack. Let cool completely.
- Serve your scarpaccia at room temperature, dusted with confectioner's sugar.
And you might also like...
Zucchine a fiammifero (Zucchini Matchsticks)
Fiori di zucca alla ligure (Ligurian-Style Zucchini Blossoms)
Frittelle di fiori di zucca (Zucchini Blossom Pancakes)
Semifreddo agli amaretti
Spaghetti alla Nerano
Filetti di baccalà (Fried Salt Cod Filets)
Scrippelle ‘mbusse (Crepes in Broth)
Tiramisù alle fragole (Strawberry Tiramisu)
Cardi fritti (Batter-fried Cardoons)
Pastiera Napoletana
Frittelle di mele (Tyrolean Apple Fritters)
Migliaccio di semolino (Semolina Cake)
34 Comments on “Scarpaccia dolce viareggina (Sweet Zucchini Tart)”
I didn’t see any discussion here regarding the egg-less version as prescribed by the Accademia Italiana della Cucina so I’d add my experience with that.
Without the egg the texture is reminiscent of mochi or, perhaps more accurately, a much too thick Korean pancake since those use wheat flour.
I made mine in a 10″ cake pan and omitted the egg but kept all other ingredients the same. The result was about .5″ – .75″ thick after deflating. I extended the cooking time to 1.5 hours because it seemed too gooey in the center at 1 hour. I think this was actually just a function of not including the egg and it may have been fine at 1 hour. The extra time resulted in a very nice crust though which was a nice contrast to the gooey and chewy center. While the egg-less version resulted in a fairly pleasant texture, if you’re looking for a more custard-y tart, you’re better off including the egg or, more likely, two of them.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Chris.
Made it substituting Splenda for sugar. Set my food processor slicer at its thinnest setting. It was great!
Glad you liked it, Ernie!
I don’t like veggies in sweets but it looks good so I will try this one.
Great, do hope you like it!
If this was sitting out on the kitchen counter and a guest walked by I’m sure that seeing the thinly sliced zucchini on the top would think it was a savory zucchini tart. Then if they took a second look and saw the powdered sugar, I think they would be puzzled. Not only did I enjoy the post but all the interesting comments as well. Thanks Frank for sharing this different Italian dessert.
I’m sure you’re right those guests would make assumptions. It would probably go for most Italians as well!
Actually, I’ve never used zucchini in a dessert form (I’ve never even tried a moderately sweet zucchini bread). This tart looks and sounds delightful; however, I might still like the savoury version a bit more haha
Well, they’re both nice, Ben. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this sweet tart, and like you I’m more of a savory guy.
What an interesting dessert and I love the back story on it. This dessert would definitely turn up a few eyebrows. I love zucchini so I’d probably love this unique dish.
I bet you would, Eva!
Totally new to me too ! Printed to make. Thank you so much ! Enjoy your day 🙂
Thanks, and hope you like it!
Interesting! This concept is both familiar and unique at the same time. Familiar in that we make zucchini bread – a sweet treat using extra zucchini. Unique in that it’s a tart. I like it! And the crispy zucchini slices on top really give this tart a cool appearance. I’m surprised to see butter mentioned as an option as I feel like that’s more common in American desserts than Italian ones. Either way, I’m all in on this recipe, Frank. It sounds like a great way to use zucchini!
Hope you do try it, David. It’s different but very nice.
Ah, yes – I do remember cucuzza in the markets in Palermo. Very cool. I hadn’t r4ad Mad Dog’s comment fully, so didn’t notice his comment about squash from the New World… but that was my thought, as well. Thanks for all that è search!
How very interesting even for a non-baker ! :Love zucchini to bits and yes, have baked and enjoyed zucchini bread . . . but never thought of anything like this and it hugely appeals in spite of the sugar ! Stefano’s comment has been helpful and Mad, as usual, is sending me to culinary history books as he has on his own blog every my Saturday foe years ! Zucchini or eggplant, finely sliced or grated . . . here I come !
Enjoy, Eha! But I’d hold off on the eggplant. I doubt it would be very nice in this dish without some further manipulation (pre-frying). And if you take a look at my response to Mad Dog, you’ll see the likely explanation about the vegetable those peasants actually served up to their local lord.
Like the others (except Stefano), I have not seen this before – but it makes sense. After all, we make zucchini bread and use it in cakes. (Just to be clear, I don’t make zucchini read or use it in cakes, but someone does…) I love the sound of this tart much more than the aforementioned American sweets. It is definitely on my list to try. (Am very curious – was there a native zucchini-like squash in Italy?)
David, When Mad Dog reminded me that zucchini was a New World import, I did a little digging and found that yes, there was a native zucchini-like squash in Italy which in those days was called “zucca” and in English we call calabash. Very similar to the cucuzza you probably know from your time Sicily. See my response to Mad Dog for details…
That looks fantastic and I will be making it! I’d eat the savoury version too, though probably not one after the other. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but there’s a flaw in the legend. Squash came to Europe from the Americas and when I looked that up to check, Wikipedia says that Zucchini were first bred in Milan in the the 19th Century. I wonder if the Castracani old shoe was originally a savoury eggplant dish?
Ah, yes, you’re absolute right, Mad Dog! It couldn’t have been zucchini, could it, or at least not the zucchini we know and love today. That had completely slipped my mind!
Inspired by your comment, I did a little digging and found out that Europe did have a native gourd somewhat similar to zucchini before 1492 which is called calabash and a few other names in English (Lagenaria siceraria) which in Italian back then called zucca. (These days “zucca” means pumpkin, another New World import.)
There are recipes for zucca in Mastro Martino‘s Libro de Arte Coquinaria (The Art of Cooking) (1465). If you know cucuzza, which is so popular in Sicily even today, it’s apparently a very close cousin. It’s only an educated guess, but I bet it was calabash those peasants offered up to Castracani. Assuming they did. It is, after all, a story… who knows if it every actually happened!
That’s very interesting, as the Spanish for zucchini is calabacina, which makes it sound like an old world vegetable got replaced by a new world version. I want to try a calabash!
This is a new one to me, too! Sounds lovely (and looks gorgeous), and such a great option for the plethora of zucchini that many of us have during the summer!
Exactly, Christina! A great way to use up that zucchini surplus! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
This is an outstanding dessert! I often see zucchini in sweetish baked goods like muffins or bread, but this dish is new and unique. At least to me. 🙂 Really nice — thanks.
Thanks, John! I do hope you’ll give it go. I think you’d really enjoy it. And as you can see, it incredibly easy to make.
Dear Frank, Viareggio is just 10 klm away from where I was born, in Pietrasanta, I do not recall having eaten this lovely dish as you recorded. Will indeed try to make it. Many thaks and God Bless you.
Vittorio & Solange, Miami.
That’s curious, Vittorio. I suppose the popularity of these old dishes may come and go over time? Anyway, if you do make it, let us know what you think.
Wow!!! this is definitely a new one for me. And of course I see no reason why this wouldn’t work and be delicious. Zucchini really doesn’t have flavor. Amazing!
Thanks Mimi. Well worth a try, I think.
I love it (and the savoury version too). It wrote about it few years back. My version comes from Paolo Petroni and it is has more eggs and less milk…possibly it is more a sort of barely set custard. I decided to grate the courgettes rather than slicing them… but, no matter how one makes it, the loveliest of desserts
stef
Thanks, Stefano. I just checked out your blog and see you actually covered both sweet and savory versions. And the savory one with chickpea flour, which I found intriguing. May give that one a try!
And thanks for introducing me, so to speak, to Paolo Petroni. He wasn’t on my radar… And here’s an interesting little tidbit: As I did a little Googling on Petroni, I found that he is or was President of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina. Interesting then that the Accademia’s cookbook offers a different recipe for scarpaccia from Petroni’s own.