As everyone knows, the pleasure of simple things is what gives you the greatest satisfaction. Even in cooking.
Let's imagine a hot summer day, in the sea breeze or in the coolness of a rural landscape. A lunch with loved ones and some well-known recipes. Like zucchini alla scapece: nothing, more than this genuine and simple dish, can point out the best sides of a season.
Ph. Carolina Fragapane
Starting with zucchini: summer product from the garden, finely cut into rounds, fried and then marinated in oil and vinegar, with the addition of garlic cloves and the mint divided into pieces to flavor. Zucchini alla scapece brings the tradition of Campania to the table.
The origins of the name are precisely in the method of marinade: “escabeche”, a word that derives from Spanish (like many in the Neapolitan dialect) and which indicates this particular process of marinating in oil and vinegar.
Ph. Carolina Fragapane
The recipe is very simple: just fry the zucchini and then leave them to marinate. The execution time, however, is quite long: the zucchini must "rest" at least a couple of hours, in order to be tastier and more consistent. The advice is therefore to prepare them in the morning, if you intend to enjoy this surprising recipe for lunch.
On the other hand, as Neapolitan and Southern Italian cuisine teaches, cooking requires dedication and patience. Even the fastest dishes like this one demand the right attention, as nothing is left to chance when it comes to respecting the cuisine and its traditions.
Ph. Carolina Fragapane
Zucchini alla scapece can be an excellent side dish. Even better if accompanied by the famous Neapolitan “cuzzetiello”, that is the piece of bread in which the crumb is removed to put other dishes: meatballs with sauce, ragù, eggplant parmesana and, in fact, zucchini alla scapece. The juicier the filling is, the better. This too is a simple and immediate way to enjoy the wonders of Neapolitan cuisine.