Zucchini, Pea & Ricotta Fritters

An easy recipe to make zucchini, pea and ricotta fritters. Healthy and kid friendly, these tasty and nutritious fritters can be made ahead, perfect for quick family meals, weekend brunches and even your office lunch box.

I borrowed Yotam Ottolenghis cookbook “Simple” from the library the other day. I must admit, even though I had heard of him, I had never really tried any of his recipes.

The book was filled with colourful, quick and easy to prepare dishes which prompted me to borrow the book. If you are looking for creative and flavourful vegetarian recipes, then I highly recommend this book - featuring bright, fresh and complex flavours, but approachable, focusing on quality ingredients and straightforward techniques.  

I chose to try the "pea fritters" since I was looking for a dish that would make a great snack and would also be filling enough for a light lunch!

Being a Chef myself, I did put my own spin on it hence my version is slightly different. Firstly, I changed the recipe to zucchini fritters with peas and secondly, instead of deep frying the fritters, I pan fry them with a little oil.

Jump to:

• INGREDIENTS FOR ZUCCHINI PEA FRITTERS
• RECIPE FOR ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
• FAQ's
• WHAT CAN YOU SERVE WITH FRITTERS
• Zucchini, Pea and Ricotta Fritter

Feel free to experiment with other flavour combinations like zucchini and potato, haloumi and spinach or corn and sweet potatoes, all these will work as long as you keep the base of the recipe as is.

INGREDIENTS FOR ZUCCHINI PEA FRITTERS

The list of ingredients for fritters is rather long but don't be intimidated! They all have an important role to play, turning into this incredible smooth texture.

Peas In this recipe we are using frozen peas, if you use fresh peas you will have to cook them in water for a minute before mixing.

Zucchini has to be shredded or thinly sliced. I usually remove the white core part before shredding it with the food processor.

Spring Onions are finely sliced, they can be replaced with brown onions or chives.

Lemon I only use the lemon rind for this recipe to give an acidic kick to the fritters. Use the lemon juice in other recipes like this lemon yuzu posset.

Parsley is chopped and folded into the batter. You can also add coriander or dill to the parsley or replace with other herbs if you like.

Ricotta makes this dish extra smooth especially if it is homemade. A soft feta cheese works well too.

Parmesan grated into the batter, adds another layer of deliciousness.

Eggs help to bind the mixture when you cook the fritters. If you want to make the fritters extra fluffy, seperate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff.

Flour & Baking powder are needed to bind the batter. Use gluten free flour to make the recipe gluten free.

Once you have gathered these ingredients, you are already half way there!

RECIPE FOR ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

The steps to make these fritters are fairly simple, it’s all in the mise en place as we chefs say.

Mise en place is the French word for meal preparation, once you have all your ingredients weighed and chopped up, you can now fully concentrate on the cooking!

Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and carefully fold them in with a spoon. Rest the batter for about 5 minutes and then it is ready for frying!

I suggest making the batter shortly before you plan to eat, as the zucchini leaves water. This will change the batter consistency and will also have an effect on the texture of the fritters. You can of course add more flour but instead of light and fluffy, you will get more dense fritters.

I use olive oil for pan frying but if you prefer sunflower oil, go for it! Cook the fritters on medium heat as they have to cook through.

Make sure not to crowd the pan with too many fritters. Cook about 3-4 fritters in a large pan at a time.

They take about 3-4 minutes per side on medium heat so flip them gently.

The recipe makes 9 fritters and for our family 3-4 fritters per person are enough as a main course. You can serve the zucchini, pea and ricotta fritters also for breakfast or brunch.

FAQ's

Can you make the batter ahead of time?

Yes you can. I have made the fritter batter ahead many times. The only ingredient I add before making the fritters, is the flour. So, as a tip, make the batter ahead but leave the flour out and add it when you are ready to fry them.

Can you store fritters in the fridge?

Yes, fritters are great for meal planning. You can make them ahead and eat them over the next days or even as a quick breakfast.

Can fritters be frozen?

The fritters can be cooked and frozen. Chill them down after cooking and store them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The best way to re-heat them is in the oven.

WHAT CAN YOU SERVE WITH FRITTERS

You can serve the fritters with hummus, tzatziki or this delicious chipotle aioli. On the side, add a few olives, fresh salad and a squeeze of lemon - perfect as a light lunch.

Some other dishes that you can serve with the zucchini, pea and ricotta fritters:

With a crunchy brussel sprout and radish slaw or a delicious butternut pumpkin salad
With a light middle eastern tabouleh salad
With these roasted baby carrots with a tangy chimichurri sauce made from the carrot greens
Serve some delicious homemade bread on the side like this grilled yoghurt naan bread
Or serve this tasty lemon and garlic aioli sauce with the fritters, it's a perfect match

Fritters are such an easy and delicious way to eat veggies, perfect for a quick and healthy meal. If you enjoyed this recipe make our miso glazed eggplant recipe next!

Either way you serve your fritters let us know how you went.