Scarpaccia, in Tuscan dialect, means “old slipper”: a zucchini flatbread so thin and flat it earned that name. It’s a cucina povera dish from the Tuscan coast, one of those cuisines that did a lot with next to nothing. The savory Camaiore version is made with parmesan. Here’s mine, 100% plant-based, with a homemade parmesan that does the job beautifully.
A plant-based parmesan to keep forever
This is the key trick of the recipe, and you’ll use it everywhere. Pulse together cashews, nutritional yeast, breadcrumbs, a little salt and garlic powder. The result: a crumbly powder with a cheesy, salty, umami taste. It keeps in a jar in the fridge and goes on everything: pasta, gratins, soups. Once you’ve adopted it, you’ll make it ahead.
Don’t throw away the zucchini water
The zucchini are salted for an hour: they release a lot of water, and that’s what guarantees a crispy flatbread instead of a soggy one. But that juice doesn’t go down the sink: it goes into the batter, in place of some of the liquid. Zero waste, and the taste of the vegetables stays in the dish. Exactly the kind of habit cucina povera practiced without a second thought.
The crunch: polenta
The flour-polenta duo is what gives scarpaccia its crunch. And the polenta works twice: in the batter, and sprinkled on the oiled baking paper before spreading, where it acts as a non-stick layer and makes the bottom even crispier. One last important point: never cut it piping hot. Wait five to ten minutes after it comes out of the oven. As it cools, it sets, shrinks slightly and lifts off in one piece.
It freezes very well
Cut into squares, it keeps for three months in the freezer. To reheat: oven at 180°C (350°F), ten to twelve minutes, straight from the freezer. Never in the microwave, it would go soft. It comes out as crispy as on day one. Handy for unexpected aperitivo guests.
Vegan zucchini scarpaccia
Ingredients
The vegetables
- 3 medium zucchini about 600 g
- 1 red or white onion
- 1 tsp salt to draw out the water
The batter
- 100 g wheat flour
- 50 g dry instant polenta (precotta)
- 150 ml unsweetened plant milk
- 50-100 ml water drained from the zucchini
- 2 tbsp olive oil + a little for the tray
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- pepper
The plant-based parmesan (to blend)
- 50 g plain cashews
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Prep
- Slice the zucchini very thinly (mandoline), thinly slice the onion. Salt, mix, and leave to drain for 1 hour.
- Squeeze the vegetables firmly over a bowl. Keep the juice.
- Pulse the plant-based parmesan into a crumbly powder. Oven to 200°C (390°F).
- Mix the flour, polenta and half the parmesan dry. Add the milk, oil, basil and pepper, then the zucchini juice little by little: you want a thick pancake batter.
- Fold in the squeezed vegetables. Rest 5 minutes so the polenta can hydrate.
- Well-oiled baking paper (+ a light dusting of dry polenta on top: non-stick and bonus crunch). Spread thin, 1 cm max. Sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan and a drizzle of oil.
- 40 minutes at 200°C (390°F), until well browned. Wait 5-10 minutes before cutting: as it cools, it sets and lifts off in one piece.
Lab notes
* Homemade plant-based parmesan: cashews + nutritional yeast + breadcrumbs + garlic. In a jar in the fridge, it goes on everything: pasta, gratins, soups.
* The drained water goes into the batter: zero waste, more flavor.
* Never cut it piping hot: it holds together as it cools.
* Freeze it in squares (3 months). To reheat: oven at 180°C (350°F), 10-12 minutes, straight from the freezer. Never in the microwave.
A thin, crispy flatbread full of basil that costs next to nothing and is always the first thing to disappear. If you try it, tell me what you think. You’ll find me on Instagram: @le_labo_vegan_de_fred
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