Zucchini Patties, plus Smoked Scamorza Cheese

Easy and good zucchini patties made with garlic, fresh basil and smoked scamorza cheese. Golden and crispy on the outside with a soft and good middle, these vegetable patties are suited to a light lunch or dinner.

Quick recipe snapshot

• Ready in 30 minutes and in one bowl.
• Great way of using up summer zucchini!
• Easy to adapt and suited to prepping ahead.

These zucchini patties (or fritters) are our latest way of making the most of this summer veg, and they couldn't be easier (or more good).

Everything is mixed in a bowl, then pan-fried in olive oil until they're golden and crispy on the outside with a soft and good middle.

They're also easy to adapt with different herbs, spices and cheeses (see our notes on that below) and are suited to a light lunch or dinner with a simple arugula salad.

Ingredient notes

• Smoked scamorza cheese – Scamorza is similar to mozzarella, but it's firm in texture. Our favourite is the smoked version, which is common in Italy. If you can't find this, then you could use another firm, melting cheese instead, such as Fontina or Gruyere.
• Shredded zucchini – use a box grater to shred the zucchini. It's quick and easy!
• Parmigiano Reggiano – Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padano are other good options.
• Nutmeg – this adds a nice flavour, but you can leave it out if you don't already have it in your kitchen.
• Breadcrumbs – We use fine, unseasoned breadcrumbs for these.

Make it your own

You can adapt these zucchini patties in so many ways. See some of our suggestions below.

Herbs – fresh parsley is a good alternative or finely chopped fresh rosemary, although we'd use this sparingly. Freshly chopped chives or dried oregano would also be good.

Other cheeses to use – Fontina, dry mozzarella (shredded or block form), Gruyere, Pecorino, Caciocavallo or Provolone.

Spices – Red pepper flakes for heat or fennel seeds.

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Removing moisture – it's important to squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as you can (definitely don't skip this step) or they'll be too soggy.
• Reheating leftovers – you can reheat them in a pan on the stove or place them on a baking tray in the oven (180C/350F) for 10 minutes until hot throughout.

Can we prepare these in advance?

Yes, you can assemble the zucchini patties and keep them refrigerated until you're ready to fry them.

Can we freeze them?

Yes, wrap them well in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze them for up to 3 months.

Serving suggestions

We love to serve these zucchini fritters with a simple arugula salad made with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper.

They're also good with large slices of ripe summer tomatoes sprinkled with salt and olive oil.

We often serve them with a bean salad, too, like our Cannellini bean and tuna salad or Chickpea Tuna Salad.

More ways to use zucchini

See more good ways to use up summer zucchini below. The soup is a reader favourite and we can't get enough of the simple salad!

Soups

Creamy Italian Potato & Zucchini Soup

Pasta

Zucchini Pesto Pasta (Fresh and good)

Pasta

Creamy Zucchini and Stracchino Pasta

Salads

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Melon and Prosciutto

Ingredients

Makes 8 patties

• 2 medium zucchini ((400g/14oz))
• 100 g (1 cup) smoked scamorza cheese (grated)
• 1 egg
• 120 g (1 cup) fine breadcrumbs
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 small handful fresh basil (finely chopped)
• 1 pinch of Nutmeg
• 1-2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano (finely grated)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Grate the zucchini using a box grater, then squeeze as much water out of them as possible using a cheesecloth or kitchen towel.

2. Place the grated zucchini in a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, scamorza and parmigiano cheese, fresh basil (chopped), egg, nutmeg and crushed garlic clove. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, then stir well to combine (we find it easy to start with a spoon, then finish mixing with our hands until well combined).

3. Form the mixture into 8 patties (cakes) and set aside on a plate.

4. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat and fry the zucchini cakes for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown (we do 4 at a time), then serve.

Kitchen notes

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in a pan on the stove or in the oven (180C/350F) for 10 minutes. You can also enjoy these cold or at room temperature.