Zucchini Carpaccio is a quick salad of thin sliced zucchini, fresh ricotta and a lemon juice and olive oil drizzle. The perfect summer recipe!
Zucchini carpaccio is the latest in the Friday Night Lights series of light suppers the Southern husband and I have been having lately. Carpaccio usually means beef that is pounded super thin, but in this case we are doing a vegetarian version with zucchini, because it is zucchini season!
It’s nice and light and involves one of my favorite things in life, which is fresh ricotta cheese. First of all, I love to make ricotta. It is one of the easiest things in the world to make and when you are done (in about 10 minutes) you feel supremely worldly and intelligent for being able to make your own ricotta cheese.
Second of all, I love to eat ricotta, and therein lies a confession about this particular post. After I took that picture up there, and the one below, I went back and added a bunch more ricotta. I wanted you to be able to see all the nice layered zucchini slices, but I also wanted to be able to eat lots and lots of fresh ricotta, and there you go.
Once you’ve made the ricotta the rest of this zucchini carpaccio dish is a snap. Slice the zucchini as thin as you can get it. I used a Mandoline Slicer
Drizzle with a mixture of fresh lemon juice and nice olive oil, scatter on some chopped scallions, grind on some fresh pepper, and spoon on as much ricotta as you can handle. (I can handle a LOT). Then chop up a handful of fresh basil (or any other herb that catches your fancy), and that’s it!
We ate this in our usual Friday Night Lights style – cuddled up on the couch from one plate with some jazz on the stereo — but it would be a great side dish for grilled steak or chicken. Happy sigh. What’s YOUR favorite way to use up the summer zucchini crop? Tell me in the comments!
Zucchini Carpaccio
Yield: 4 1x
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Zucchini Carpaccio is a quick salad of thin sliced zucchini, fresh ricotta and a lemon juice and olive oil drizzle. The perfect summer recipe!
Ingredients
- 5 medium zucchini, trimmed
- Coarse kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- One cup ricotta cheese, preferably fresh
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Using knife or mandoline slicer, cut zucchini into paper-thin rounds.
- Arrange rounds, slightly overlapping, on large platter. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and pepper, then green onions.
- Whisk lemon juice and oil in small bowl. Drizzle dressing evenly over zucchini.
- Drop small spoonfuls of cheese all over zucchini. Sprinkle with basil and serve.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
Hi there! I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN! My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too. Let’s cook together!
I am so impressed with your fresh ricotta making skillz. I think it's something that I need to attempt soon because really good ricotta here costs an arm and a leg. This zucchini carpaccio is making me giddy because it's so summerful!
:::printing:::
i am carb free for a while and need kicked up recipes. to keep me occupied from having daydreams of eating my weight in pb cups.
need to make my own ricotta too–good point.
This looks so beautiful! Do you think it would be good with goat cheese, feta, or some other type of cheese? I'm not a big fan of ricotta, wondering if you have a good alternative or if I should just wing it.
Looks delicious – I am going to have to tuck this one in my book of tricks for quick summer recipes.
And I've always wanted to try making my own ricotta – this is the encouragement I needed.
@Laura: I think feta would be great, actually! I'd use a little less of it so the dish doesn't get too salty, and crumble it into really tiny pieces, but I think that's a great alternate. :)
Green delice! It will be my first time ever to make ricotta. I will let you know how I got on!
What a super idea! I love the idea of the thinly sliced zucchini. And I have made ricotta…it's not as difficult as I thought it would be.
This is just such a perfect side dish for grilled meat.
Super pretty and creative salad idea. I love it! I’ve been wanting to make homemade ricotta. Maybe now I will! I have a feeling it’ll be one of those things I’ll end up regretting that I didn’t try sooner! :)
Thanks – and you’re absolutely right on the ricotta, that’s how I was too. And now I’ve started making my own butter…it’s even easier! :)
Oh my goodness, butter?? I NEED to do this!! I recently have been into homemade mayo also… much better than the store bought. I suppose it’s just true for everything :)
I think it is! – I’m already pondering what ELSE I can do the homemade version of.
I made this tonight..so simple and so delicious….perfect summer side..especially when you have an excess of zuches..Thanks!
Yes, this and zucchini gazpacho are my go-to too-much-zucchini recipes! Glad you like it too.
do you eat this like an appetizer or with a fork ?
Hi Peggy! You do need a fork for this one…I serve it like a salad. We don’t want to miss one bite of the ricotta cheese!