Italian
Silvia’s Masterclass
From
Silvia’s Masterclass
season
1
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers
With
Silvia Colloca
Ingredients
12 baby zucchini with their flowers (inside stem removed)
300 gr of full fat ricotta
1 egg
pinch of nutmeg
20 gr of freshly grated pecorino
3-4 chopped up mint leaves
4-5 anchovies, chopped up
1 chili, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper for seasoning
For the batter
150 gr of 00 flour
250 ml of cold sparkling water
vegetable oil for deep frying
Method
Line a baking dish with baking paper.
Mix the ricotta, pecorino, egg, mint, nutmeg, chili , lemon zest and anchovies in a bowl. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Spoon the mixture into the flowers, twist the petals to enclose it.
Heat up the oil in a large pan. Mix flour and sparking water, dip the stuffed baby zucchini, shake off the excess and drop into the hot oil (you may need to do this in batches), and fry for 3-4 minutes or until crispy and pale golden.
Drain on kitchen paper, then serve on a platter seasoned with salt and pepper
Silvia Colloca
Silvia Colloca is an Italian-born food writer, opera singer, TV producer and host. She has authored seven cookbooks, including Silvia’s Cucina, Made in Italy, La Dolce Vita, Love, Laugh, Bake!, Simple Italian (2024), and The Italian Homecook (2025), all published by Penguin.
Silvia’s most recent television work is Silvia’s Italian Masterclass (Channel 10), with its latest season airing in October 2025. The series is currently funding for Season 4. She has also appeared as a special guest on SBS’s Mastermind in 2025. Her earlier TV credits include the SBS Food series Cook Like an Italian, which has screened internationally across three seasons, as well as Made in Italy with Silvia Colloca (SBS), filmed on location in the Le Marche and Abruzzo regions and earning her a 2015 TV WEEK Logie Award nomination for Best New Talent. She also co-wrote, co-produced and hosted the ABC prime-time series Silvia’s Italian Table in 2016.
Outside of food and television, Silvia has enjoyed a career as a celebrated opera singer and actress. In 2022, she released her debut solo classical album with Universal Music, which topped the Classical Charts for over 20 weeks. That same year, she performed with Andrea Bocelli at his Sydney concert, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Inspiration Starts Here
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