Zucchini Agrodolce

By Gabrielle Hamilton

Published Aug. 22, 2021

Zucchini Agrodolce
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Total Time
40 minutes, plus drying and resting
Rating
4(280)
Comments
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Wherever the sun is powerful, it has been used to dry local produce. Sundried zucchini are commonly found in the markets in southern Italy, and this sweet-sour marinade, agrodolce, comes from even farther south, in Sicily. The flesh of the zucchini becomes dense and meaty when dried and, after frying, the slices perfectly soak up the aromatic, piquant, lively marinade. Served with slices of sopressata and a fresh orb of burrata, this dish is a delicious addition to an antipasto course. If you can use the sun to dry the zucchini where you live, do so; for the rest of us, the oven in your kitchen will do the trick.

Featured in: Cooking Without an Oven, the Southern Italian Way

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Zucchini

    • 6firm medium zucchini, trimmed
    • Kosher salt
    • Good-quality olive oil
    • Handful of fresh mint leaves

    For the Agrodolce

    • 1cup cider vinegar
    • ⅓cup granulated sugar
    • 2pinches homemade or good store-bought chile flakes
    • 2garlic cloves, slivered
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

176 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 24 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 883 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the zucchini: Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Slice the zucchini into ⅛-inch-thick rounds, long ribbons or both. Lay out in a single layer on two wire racks set inside two sheet pans.

  2. Step 2

    Salt the zucchini lightly and evenly, and let sit for about 20 minutes to draw out the water. Blot dry with paper towels, then leave in the oven until the slices become a little leathery, dry and sort of papery. It’ll take a little over an hour.

  3. Step 3

    Make the agrodolce: In a small, nonreactive stainless-steel saucepan, simmer the vinegar with the sugar over medium heat until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Add the chile flakes and turn off the heat. Stir in garlic slivers.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, finish the zucchini: Heat about 1 inch of olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium-high until it shimmers. Test with a chopstick to see if it's ready to sizzle. Fry the leathery zucchini in batches until golden brown, 20 to 30 seconds. Move quickly — they fry quickly. Drain on the racks.

  5. Step 5

    Arrange the warm, fried zucchini in a heatproof dish and generously scatter mint leaves on top, then spoon the still piping hot agrodolce all over the mint and zucchini. You will smell the mint leaves bloom under the heat of the agrodolce, like tea leaves in hot water. Let rest for about 15 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to meld and permeate.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
280 user ratings
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Comments

Prakash Nadkarni

RE: Other vegetables, other herbs: Indeed you can. Look up the recipe for caponata, another Sicilian classic, at cookieandkate.com/caponata-recipe. This also uses an agrodolce base (though less sugary than this recipe, it also has raisins), and you have a choice of mint, parsley, basil. (Rosemary might be assertive in larger quantities, but a little would be fine.)

JA

Can you prepare this recipe with other vegetables such as eggplant?

PA Jim

I think you can accomplish all the conventional oven aspects of "sun drying" with an air fryer, which gives quick and easily controllable results. I prepare tons of zucchini, squash, potatoes etc. and keep it all on hand for all sorts of pasta creations, stir fries or impromptu curries. But I really like the agrodolce part of this recipe also. That's a welcome twist I'll mingle with my other go to's.

Catherine R

A fancy and surprisingly easy recipe for something really special—must have a mandolin, and two half sheet pans with inserts, and highly recommend 200 with convection for the dehydration phase. Agree with other commenter that 6 normal grocery store size zucchini needed 3 pans. The dehydrated zucchini went into the fridge overnight, and the frying was fast and almost fun with how quickly they go from boring floppy to half crispy delicious. Mint good, not required. Served with burrata, per suggestion here. The combo of intense sweet sour agrodolce and the rich creamy cheese was heavenly.

Chop chop

Gladly investing a whole roll of paper towels - first on the weeping juices and then on the fry blot for this one.

Caitlin

Lots of work but completely worth it. I needed 3 sheet pans for 6 zucchini. Using a mandolin to cut the zucchini in long strips cuts down on frying time vs having to fry lots of little pieces

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