Grilled Zucchini with Stracciatella

Grilled Zucchini with Stracciatella

Grilled zucchini with stracciatella is a simple dish that’s great as a starter or part of an antipasti. It’s inspired by a dish I had at Bert’s at Newport – the first time I ever tasted stracciatella. This wonderful southern Italian cheese is shredded mozzarella mixed with cream – it’s what’s inside burrata and is absolutely delicious. The name ‘stracciatella’ comes from the Italian ‘straccio’ meaning to tear or rip; stracci (rag) pasta has the same origin. In fact ‘stracciatella’ can refer to three different foods: vanilla ice cream with shreds of chocolate through it, chicken broth with threads of egg through it, and the cheese we’re talking about here made from shredded mozzarella, which hails from Puglia. The best Australian stracciatella is made by Vannella Cheese in Marrickville, Sydney, and is available around the country (see their website for stockists). Since we’re in southern Italy, I enjoy a glass of fiano with this dish, an Italian grape variety from Campania that’s growing well in Australia’s warmer regions. Try d’Arenberg’s The Sun Surfer from McLaren Vale, with lots of tropical fruit notes and a juicy finish it’s perfect for a long relaxing al fresco lunch. With the grill on, you could easily add some vibrant grilled zucchini flowers to the table (see video below).

Serves 10 as part of an antipasto

Ingredients
  • 3 green zucchini
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • Salt flakes, to taste
  • 350g stracciatella
  • 10 mint leaves, finely sliced
  • Crusty bread, for serving
Method
  1. Wash and dry zucchini and cut them lengthways into 5mm-thick slices.
  2. Toss with a generous drizzle of oil to coat well.
  3. Heat a char-grill pan or barbecue over medium–high heat.
  4. Place zucchini on the grill, sprinkle with salt and cook for about 3 minutes until well coloured.
  5. Turn, sprinkle with salt and grill for another 3 minutes or so, until well coloured.
  6. Remove from grill and set aside to cool (ideally refrigerate).
  7. Spread stracciatella on the base of a serving platter.
  8. Top with zucchini, sprinkle with mint and drizzle generously with oil.
  9. Serve grilled zucchini with stracciatella cold or at room temperature with plenty of crusty bread on the side.

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Grilled Zucchini Flowers

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