This vegan zucchini scarpaccia recipe is my take on the traditional Italian dish. It comes together with zucchini, onion, flour, cornmeal, nutritional yeast, and rosemary. You’ll love it’s fresh flavor and crispy edges.
Scarpaccia is a rustic zucchini tart from the Tuscany region of Italy. It’s made with simple ingredients but is absolutely delicious, or rather, delizioso!
Serve it as an appetizer, side dish, or snack. It’s delicious paired with any soup or hearty dish like my vegan pasta puttanesca, tofu bolognese, or lemon pasta.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy to make: This Italian scarpaccia is sure to make it in your meal plan rotation, especially when you have extra zucchini. It's super easy to make and you can make it your own. Be sure to check out the recipe variations below.
- No cheese: Just like all of my recipes on this website, this one is made without any dairy. Plus there's no eggs either!
- Great for any occasion: Make this vegan scarpaccia recipe for a simple snack, tasty date night appetizer, for parties, during the holidays, or even for happy hour. This zucchini tart pairs perfectly with a strong negroni, bubbly aperol spritz, or fizzy champagne cocktail.
Ingredient notes
- Zucchini: Use fresh, firm zucchini.
- Onion: Use red onion, sweet onion, or white onion.
- All purpose flour: This is used as the binder. If gluten free, use gluten free all purpose flour or chickpea flour.
- Cornmeal: Be sure to use finely ground corn meal!
- Nutritional yeast: Nooch aka nutritional yeast is a savory, nutty seasoning that gives our dairy free scarpaccia a cheesy taste.
- Rosemary: You can use any dried or fresh herb like basil or oregano.
- Sea salt: Just a pinch of salt in the batter and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt after baking really enhances the flavors.
How to make zucchini scarpaccia
The full instructions for this recipe in the recipe card below.
Using a mandolin, slice zucchini into very-thin rounds. Repeat using the onion. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can carefully use a sharp knife. Place the sliced zucchini and onion in a mixing bowl and let sit for at least 45 minutes. Don’t skip this step, as it’s very important to remove the excess liquid.
Transfer the zucchini and onion to a cheesecloth or thin kitchen towel and squeeze any extra liquid out into the mixing bowl. Set the vegetables aside and preheat the oven to 400F.
To the mixing bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, nutritional yeast, rosemary, salty and water. Stir to combine, until a batter forms, adding extra water as needed.
Spread the mixture out onto a greased metal baking dish or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pictured is a 13x18 baking sheet.
Bake at 400F for 35-40 minutes, until slightly crispy and golden. Once cooked through, remove from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Scarpaccia is best served warm or at room temperature. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat, place in the air fryer until warmed through and crispy.
Variations
- Top with vegan parmesan cheese: Traditional scarpaccia is made with parmesan cheese. We’ve used nutritional yeast as a replacement in the batter, but a topping of store-bought or homemade vegan parmesan really takes this tart to the next level.
- Add extra veggies: Use a mixture of finely sliced summer squash or potatoes. For even more greens, top with arugula.
- Make it spicy: Bring the heat with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. These can be added into the batter before baking or sprinkled on just before serving.
Related recipes
- Crispy baked zucchini and squash is the ultimate side dish. Tossed with panko breadcrumbs then baked to perfection, you'll love this quick and easy dish.
- Want more veg? Here's how to make air fryer frozen green beans and air fryer frozen brussels sprouts!
- Roasted creamer potatoes come together with mini potatoes, olive oil, and seasoning. They're oven baked to ensure a crispy outside and soft center.
- Lastly, my dairy free pesto has incredible flavor and an unbelievably creamy texture.
Vegan Zucchini Scarpaccia
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini
- ½ medium onion
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- To prepare the zucchini for scarpaccia, use a mandolin to get evenly-sized very-thin zucchini slices. Repeat with the onion. This can be done by carefully using a sharp knife.
- Once both the zucchini and onion are sliced, place into a large mixing bowl and let stand for at least 45 minutes. The longer you let sit, the more excess water you’ll have. This is very important so the tart isn’t soggy! If time permits, let sit for 2 hours up to overnight in the fridge.
- Transfer the zucchini and onion to a cheesecloth or thin, clean kitchen towel. Squeeze any extra liquid into the large bowl and set the vegetables aside. Preheat the oven to 400F.
- To the mixing bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, nutritional yeast, rosemary, salt, and water. Add additional water one tablespoon at a time until a batter forms.
- Add the vegetables to the batter and stir to coat. Transfer to a 13x18 baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the mixture out into an even, thin layer. Give the top a quick spray of cooking oil.
- Bake at for 35-40 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Kat says
Can the half cup of water be replaced with the squeezed out veggie juice?
Jenna Urben says
Absolutely, yes!