Why It Works
- Salting and draining the zucchini before cooking removes excess moisture for a crispier fry.
- Maintaining a slightly lower oil temperature after adding the zucchini allows it to cook through while still turning golden brown and crisp.
- Pulsing the pesto in stages prevents it from turning dense or pasty.
It’s not often that a vegetarian sandwich is the most popular item at a sandwich shop—usually that honor goes to something meaty. But that’s not the case at The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, where La Zucca, their fried zucchini sandwich with lemony ricotta, almond-basil pesto, and artichoke tapenade, has a devoted following. With summer comes an abundance of zucchini—it floods farmers’ markets and garden beds alike. I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite zucchini dish, but this sandwich is one of the most fun, satisfying, and substantial presentations of the vegetable I can think of. Consider it proof that zucchini was meant for the spotlight.
I’ve never actually had it myself (I live in New York and don’t find myself in LA all that often), but between the flood of rave reviews, influencer close-ups, and scroll-stopping snapshots of crisp yet juicy zucchini sandwiched in between crusty bread, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Since I have no plans to go to LA anytime soon, I realized the only way I was going to finally eat it was to make it myself.
This, then, is my version of La Zucca, built on the facts of the original, but not meant to be a facsimile of it. It features a crusty baguette slathered with lemon-infused ricotta, briny and bold lemon-artichoke tapenade, and a vibrant almond-basil pesto. The star of the show, though, is the mountain of super-crispy fried zucchini planks, stacked high for a truly substantial sandwich. Every bite is a riot of textures and flavors—crunchy, creamy, tangy, savory, and rich.
Making three separate spreads might sound like a lot of work for a sandwich, but it’s absolutely worth it for the layered, flavor-exploding payoff. That said, if you’re in a pinch, you can easily substitute good-quality store-bought pesto and/or tapenade of your choosing. The sandwich will still deliver.
Getting the Zucchini Right
Since zucchini is the centerpiece of this sandwich, getting it right matters. That means zucchini that’s tender inside, crisp and golden outside, with breading that sticks and doesn’t slide off.
I like to square off the zucchini just a bit before slicing—nothing too precise, just a quick trim along the long sides to give flatter, more even surfaces. You’re not turning the zucchini into perfect blocks, just making it easier to cut straighter, more uniform planks. The trim should be minimal and can be discarded.
You’ll notice the breading sticks better to the zucchini flesh than to the skin. During testing, we agreed that this wasn’t a problem—even if some breading falls off where the skin is, the subtle contrast in texture made the sandwich more interesting to eat. But if you’d rather have a fully even shell of crust, feel free to peel the zucchini before slicing.
After slicing the zucchini planks, it helps to salt and drain them of excess water for about an hour. Once thoroughly patted dry and breaded, the zucchini cook up more crisply and have a more concentrated flavor, more distinctly grassy and vegetal flavors than you otherwise typically get from such a mild vegetable. It’s a step I never skip when cooking zucchini.
Once the zucchini is breaded, I fry it in batches. Heating the oil to 350°F jumpstarts browning and gives the planks a deep golden crust. From there, I lower the heat to keep the oil around 300°F. Dropping the zucchini to a lower temperature allows it to cook through without scorching the coating, resulting in tender centers and crisp, evenly browned exteriors that hold up in the sandwich.
Two and a half pounds of zucchini will give you at least 24 planks—enough for four big sandwiches or eight smaller ones. If you end up with extra planks, you can simply use them for something else. I like to fry the excess and pass it around the table as a snack.
Building the Pesto
To offset the richness of the fried zucchini, this sharp, savory pesto brings balance and contrast. Blanched almonds add a gentle nuttiness, while a mix of Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano delivers salty, umami depth. Pulsing the ingredients in stages—starting with the almonds, garlic, and salt, then adding the cheese, then the basil—prevents the mixture from turning dense. The olive oil gets stirred in by hand at the end, which helps the pesto stay loose and spoonable rather than emulsifying into something thick and pasty.
And as mentioned above, if you’re looking to save time, feel free to use a high-quality store-bought pesto instead.
A Spread That Doesn’t Hold Back
La Zucca is proof that one bold sauce per sandwich isn’t always enough. This lemon–artichoke tapenade is briny, bright, and unapologetically assertive—the perfect condiment to balance the rich, fried zucchini. Anchovies and capers bring deep salinity and punch, while garlic and Dijon add a sharp bite. The marinated artichokes contribute tang and body, and a generous hit of lemon juice and zest lifts everything with citrusy fragrance.
It’s loud, pungent, and perfectly unreserved. And just like with the pesto, if you’re looking to save some time, as Ina Garten would put it, “store-bought is fine”—just make sure it’s good quality.
The Lemony Ricotta Layer
To balance out all the bold, savory flavors from the pesto and tapenade, the creamy ricotta mellows everything out with an understated richness. It’s loaded with lemon juice and zest, making it deeply fragrant and bright.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Putting It All Together
Assembly starts with a generous layer of lemony ricotta on the bottom half of each baguette, and pesto and tapenade slathered on the top half. Then comes the zucchini: a hefty stack of the golden, crispy planks. It’ll look dramatic at first—tall, teetering, and architecturally suspect—but don’t worry.
After a final touch of flaky sea salt, pressing the tops and bottoms of the sandwich together sets everything in place with the most satisfying crackling squish, as the zucchini juices ooze from the sides and the stack settles and condenses into itself. The recipe makes four big sandwiches for a filling meal, or eight smaller ones if you’re serving it as part of a spread for a crowd.
For me, this has quickly become one of my favorite summer sandwiches—and I have a strong feeling it’ll become one of yours, too.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
This Viral Sandwich Looked So Good, We Had to Recreate It
Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)
For the Zucchini:
2 1/2 pounds (1.13 kg) medium zucchini (about 4 to 5)
3 1/2 teaspoons (about 11 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for seasoning; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight, divided
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (6 3/4 ounces; 191 g)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
8 ounces panko breadcrumbs (about 227 g; 3 1/4 cups)
Neutral oil such as vegetable oil, for frying
For the Almond Pesto (see notes):
2 tablespoons blanched almonds (about 1 ounce; 28 g)
2 medium cloves garlic (10 g)
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
3 ounces basil leaves (85 g; about 4 cups)
1 ounce finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano (about 2 1/2 tablespoons; 28 g)
1/2 ounce finely Pecorino Romano (about 2 tablespoons; 14 g)
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
For the Lemon-Artichoke Tapenade (see notes):
1/4 cup pitted black olives (about 1 1/2 ounces, 43 g), such as oil-cured olives
1/4 cup drained and quartered marinated artichoke hearts (about 2 ounces; 57 g)
1 tablespoon drained capers (about 1/2 ounce, 14 g)
1 tablespoon loosely packed fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
3 medium cloves garlic
2 drained oil-packed anchovy fillets
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice from 1 medium lemon
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
For the Lemon Ricotta:
1 cup ricotta (8 ounces; 227 g)
2 teaspoons lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons (10 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 medium lemon
1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
To Assemble Sandwiches:
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), to taste
2 fresh baguettes (about 22 to 26 inches long), halved crosswise, then split horizontally, toasted
For Prepping the Zucchini: Trim ends off the zucchini, then slice each in half crosswise. If the zucchini halves are very uneven or curved, trim a thin slice from each long side to square them off slightly. This will make it easier to cut relatively straight, even planks (though they don’t need to be perfect). Cut each zucchini half lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick planks.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Place the zucchini planks in a colander set inside a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour to drain, tossing once halfway through.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
For the Almond Pesto: While zucchini drains, in the bowl of a food processor, pulse almonds, garlic, and sea salt until coarsely chopped, about 7 pulses. Add cheese, and pulse until just combined, about 3 pulses combined. Add basil and pulse until finely chopped, about 15 pulses. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in oil.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
For the Lemon Artichoke Tapenade: In the bowl of a food processor, combine olives, artichokes, capers, oregano or marjoram, garlic, anchovies, mustard, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Process until finely chopped paste forms, 30 to 60 seconds, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add lemon juice and pulse briefly to combine. With processor running, drizzle in oil until just combined (mixture might need to be stirred by hand at the end to fully incorporate oil). Transfer to small bowl, season with black pepper to taste, and stir to combine.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
For the Lemon-Infused Ricotta: In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt until smooth and fluffy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
For Frying the Zucchini: Once zucchini is drained, in a large shallow bowl or rimmed dish, stir together flour, paprika, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt. In a second shallow bowl, beat eggs with a fork until no streaks remain. Transfer panko to a third shallow bowl.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Pat drained zucchini planks dry with paper towels, applying light pressure to release more moisture. Working with a few zucchini planks at a time, dredge in flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Dip into eggs, ensuring each piece is evenly coated. Lift planks with a fork and transfer to panko, tossing to coat and pressing gently so crumbs adhere. Arrange in a single layer on a large platter or rimmed baking sheet.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and line with paper towels. In a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet, add 1 inch of oil. Heat oil over medium-high heat until it registers 350°F (175°C) with an instant-read thermometer. Working in 2 or 3 batches, taking care not to overcrowd skillet, carefully lower zucchini planks into oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on all sides, lowering heat as needed to maintain oil temperature at around 300°F (150°C), 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and season with kosher salt to taste. Repeat with remaining zucchini planks, returning oil temperature to 350°F (175°C) between batches.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
To Assemble Sandwiches: Spread 1/4 cup of ricotta-lemon mixture onto baguette bottoms. Spread 3 tablespoons pesto onto baguette tops, followed by 2 tablespoons tapenade. Stack 6 zucchini planks on top of ricotta (they will look very tall at this point). Sprinkle zucchini with flaky sea salt to taste. Set baguette tops over zucchini, then gently press down to compress. Cut each sandwich in half. Serve.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Special Equipment
Food processor, colander, rimmed baking sheet, wire rack, large cast iron or stainless steel skillet, instant-read thermometer
Notes
Good-quality store-bought pesto can be substituted for homemade if you’re short on time. You’ll need a total of 1 cup.
The tapenade recipe makes about twice as much as this recipe needs. Save the extra as a spread for toast, alongside cheeses, or as a briny side to meats or vegetables.
Good-quality store-bought tapenade can be substituted for homemade; you’ll need 1/2 cup.
The amount of zucchini in this recipe will yield at least 24 planks. Feel free to discard any extras, or bread and fry them to pass around the table as a snack.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight jar or container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for up to 5 days. The basil in the pesto oxidizes fairly quickly, but it is still safe to consume within 5 days.
The tapenade can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
The lemon-infused ricotta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
