Insalata di Seppie e Zucchine alla Scapece
My new summertime favorite, especially on those days when the sun is beating down on my kitchen in the afternoon and the last thing I want to do is turn on the stove or the oven. The kitchen is nice and cool in the morning though and this allows me to prepare ahead of time, and this cuttlefish salad is my favorite thing these days to prepare. We had a similar salad at La Barca, a great seafood restaurant in Marina di Pulsano, when my parents were visiting in May. I love the combination of the zucchini, the mint and the cuttlefish, such a simple dish, and contemporarily complex with its layers of flavors. I made a version of this in a risotto while my parents were still visiting, it was still too chilly to really enjoy a seafood salad, but a warm risotto was exactly what the doctor had ordered. I have to say that the flavors render themselves better at room temperature.
Insalata di Seppie e Zucchine alla Scapece
- 1 kilo (around 2 lb) of cuttlefish
- 4 large zucchini sliced into round medallions
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- handful of fresh mint
- salt to taste
Place cleaned cuttlefish in a steaming basket and steam for 15 minutes once the water starts to boil at the bottom of the pan. When they have finished cooking, rinse with cold water and thinly slice, set aside to cool off completely.
In the meantime wash and thinly slice zucchini into round medallions. Heat oil in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat and add the whole cloves of garlic. When garlic starts to sizzle add slices of zucchini. Sauté zucchini over high heat for about five minutes or until they start to brown, lower heat to a medium flame. You need to make sure to turn the zucchini frequently so that it doesn’t burn.
When zucchini is perfectly browned and cooked through, remove from the heat, toss with the cuttlefish and the fresh mint and serve at room temperature.
One Year Ago: Chickpea and Vegetable Stew with Couscous
Italicious 
Love scapece but had never thought to combine it with cuttlefish–what a great idea!