Hasselback zucchini is a brilliant idea and such a fun way to cook a delicious zucchini dish. Cut in an accordion-look-a-like form, brushed with rosemary and garlic and topped with salty, creamy cheese and soft and sweet sun-dried tomatoes. A perfect dish that can be done in your oven or on the grill.
If you remember my Hasselback potato recipe (one of my first posts ever), then you know that Hasselback got its name after a restaurant in Stockholm where it’s been invented. What a creation! A simple ingredient cut into slices that look like a fan or accordion. Fabulous. A real eye-catcher.
Hasselback zucchini? Isn’t it called Hasselback potato? Right, potato came first. But, now there are plenty of other variations, as well. Basically, you can create it almost with everything. Hmm, I just got some ideas about how to use this cut on some fruits. There’s going to be a Hasselback fruit recipe soon. Wink.
Wonderful zucchini
Zucchini come almost with no flavour. Well, it’s mostly water. Isn’t it? They have a very mild flavour and are tender to bite even when raw. I simply had to enhance the flavour somehow. Therefore, I combined one of my favourite herbs, the rosemary, some olive oil, a bit of garlic (that should never be skipped) and some honey.
When about to brush them with rosemary-garlic oil, the slices might be glued together, be patient and carefully push them apart and brush them with the oil. It’s worth it. However, if you want an even more fantastic dish, then do what I did and add a topping.
Feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes
Adding a creamy and salty cheese will put it on another level. I picked Feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. Yummy. This cheese and tomatoes are an incredible combination. It’s a mix of salty, tangy, creamy and intensely sweet. Wow! An explosion of flavour. And, this comes on top of the Hasselback zucchini. Yes!
How do you make your zucchini? Zucchini, as “boring” as it might be, is very versatile. In fact, you can use it in a salad, in a minestrone, in pasta sauce, pesto, it can be stuffed, it can be grilled or fried, you can use it in a tart and even in a chocolate bread.
Here are some of my recipes with zucchini:
- pesto zucchini noodles with burrata
- golden zucchini salad
- tagliatelle with zucchini ragù
- baked zucchini cakes
- rice filled zucchini
- zucchini cream cheese puff pastry
- chocolate zucchini cake
- summer squash boats
Ingredients for two portions of Hasselback zucchini:
- 2 large zucchini
- 2 garlic cloves (thinly chopped)
- 4 rosemary sprigs (needles chopped, plus some for garnish)
- 1-2 tsp of honey
- 2 Tbsp of olive oil
- 100 g Feta cheese (crumbled)
- 6-7 sun-dried tomatoes (preserved in oil)
- around 10 cherry tomatoes
To begin, peel and thinly chop the garlic and wash the rosemary, remove the needle-look-a-like leaves and chop them. In a small bowl, combine chopped rosemary, garlic, olive oil and honey. Stir it with a spoon and keep it aside. Wash the cherry tomatoes and keep them aside as well.
Preheat the oven to 200º C. Furthermore, wash and tap dry the zucchini with a paper towel. Then, place the first zucchini on the cutting board (the long side facing you) and place one chopstick or wooden spoon on each side of it (also parallel to you). This will prevent from cutting completely through it.
Cut thin slices to a fan-like form
Start cutting 3-4 mm thick slices from one end to the other. Do the same with the second zucchini. Once both zucchini are cut in a Hasselback way, place them (cut part up of course) on a baking sheet lined with some parchment paper and brush them with the rosemary-garlic oil which you prepared earlier. Also, do not forget to add some of that lovely mixture in between the slices, too. Simply use a teaspoon. Add the cherry tomatoes and put them to bake for 25 minutes on the middle rack.
In the meantime, crumble the Feta cheese into a small bowl, chop the sun-dried tomatoes, the remaining rosemary and add them to the cheese. A small spoon of oil from the tomato jar will add some great flavour.
When the Hasselback zucchini are ready, top them with Feta cheese and tomatoes (by pressing gently). Put back in the oven for another 5 minutes and switch to the grill function.
Finally, serve the Hasselback zucchini along with cherry tomatoes and maybe with a slice of bread. Sprinkle with fresh black pepper or chili flakes for an extra kick. If you are looking for a bigger meal, it also pairs great with some roasted potatoes, fish or meat.
Enjoy!
