Why This Recipe Works

Scarpaccia is a thin, crustless Tuscan tart made with vegetables and a mixture of eggs, flour, cornmeal, and Parmesan. You can make it with different thinly shaved vegetables, but zucchini is the most traditional and a great way to use up your summer harvest. The thickness of the crust can vary; ours is thick enough to be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. To ensure that the zucchini slices didn't leach moisture into the tart and sog it out, we salted them and squeezed out their excess liquid. We liked eating the tart warm or at room temperature, when its texture was still tender. The longer it sat, the crispier it got.

Before You Begin

We used Authentic Food's white rice flour when developing this recipe as it has the finest grind. It’s important to slice the zucchini and onion very thin for the best texture; if you have a mandolin, use it. Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the Parmesan. You can use cheesecloth in place of the dishtowel if you prefer. We like to serve scarpaccia with aioli for dipping.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Make parchment sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by placing 1 long sheet parchment paper into pan, pushing and smoothing into sides and bottom, with extra parchment hanging over long sides of pan. If needed, fold sheet of parchment so it is no more than 13 inches wide to fit neatly into pan.

Toss 2 zucchini, trimmed and sliced into 1/16-inch thick rounds; ½ onion, sliced 1/16-inch thick; and 1½ teaspoons table salt together in bowl; set aside for 15 minutes. Place zucchini mixture in center of clean dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly to drain as much liquid as possible, reserving 7 tablespoons of liquid (or add water to reach 7 tablespoons). Set zucchini mixture aside.

Whisk ¾ cup white rice flour, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, ½ cup cornmeal, 1½ teaspoons dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Add 2 lightly beaten large eggs, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, and reserved zucchini liquid and stir until well combined. Break up zucchini and onion slices into batter and stir until evenly distributed. Transfer to prepared pan, spreading into even layer.

Bake until golden brown and crispy at edges, 35 to 40 minutes. Using parchment sling, transfer scarpaccia to cutting board and let cool for at least 5 minutes; discard parchment. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.