The zucchini alla scapece is a typical Neapolitan side dish also known as zucchini a scapece. My mom used to make them often during the hot months and it is one of my favorite dishes with zucchini. Here I’ll show you how to make them in a light version: the traditional version involves frying but obviously for us who are on a diet it’s better to avoid using too much oil.
The result is still good, indeed, excellent I would say, very little fat and plenty of taste! Let’s see how to prepare them either in a traditional oven or in the air fryer, my beloved Airfryer.
Here are some other good and light recipes with zucchini you can find here:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 4 zucchini
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (2 measuring teaspoons)
- to taste mint
- to taste balsamic vinegar (or other type)
- to taste salt and pepper
- Points per serving = 1 WW point
Tools
- Air Fryer
Preparation
Wash the zucchini well and remove both ends. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and then into half-inch semicircles.
Now put the sliced zucchini in a bowl, add a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt and mix well with your hands to coat all the zucchini slices.
In the traditional Neapolitan recipe, the zucchini would be fried in plenty of oil, but we will use one of the following two methods instead.
Spread all the zucchini on the oven tray covered with parchment paper, trying not to overlap them. Preheat the oven to a high temperature (430°F-480°F) and bake.
Turn the zucchini occasionally and turn off the oven when they are golden on the surface, it will take 30-40 minutes.
There is no need to preheat the air fryer, simply place the zucchini in the basket and cook for 15-20 minutes at 390°F. Remember to shake the basket occasionally.
The zucchini in the Airfryer come out similar to fried ones, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, but they won’t be greasy.
When the zucchini are still hot, put them in the serving dish and dress them with another teaspoon of oil, chopped garlic, salt, balsamic vinegar, and chopped mint, if you like, a sprinkle of pepper is also nice. Mix well and serve.
The zucchini alla scapece are so good and even better if prepared in advance so that the dressing gives even more flavor to this side dish. Here at home, during the summer, I regularly make them and often prepare many more for myself and have a feast. Let me know if you liked them!
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
The baked zucchini can be stored in the fridge for at least 4 days and in the freezer for 5-6 months. I often make them in the summer so that in winter I just have to defrost, dress, and serve them.
