Name: Fresh Tomato Sauce with Zucchini Flowers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves; 2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes (red and yellow work really well); white wine, a generous pour; salt and pepper to taste; zucchini flowers (I used about 20, use what you’ve got)

Our "Fun with Zucchini Flowers" series continues with this simple tomato sauce enhanced by a secret ingredient.

How to Make Fresh Tomato Sauce with Zucchini Flowers

core/paragraph

postId

wpzoom-recipe-card/recipe-block-from-posts

<div class="my-[1px]">
<div class="py-[3px] whitespace-pre-wrap u-break-words">Mario Traina is a Sicilian chef, gastronome, and educator based in Catania. A graduate and ambassador of the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo (founded by Slow Food&#8217;s Carlo Petrini), he is the founder of the Comunità Educativa Gastronomica Etnea, Sicily&#8217;s first educational gastronomic community. He works as a private chef across the island, cooking for travelers with a zero-waste philosophy rooted in local ingredients and Sicilian tradition.</div>
</div>
<div class="my-[1px]">
<div class="py-[3px] whitespace-pre-wrap u-break-words">Website: <a title="https://chefmariotraina.com" href="https://chefmariotraina.com/">chefmariotraina.com</a> | Instagram: @chefmariotraina</div>
</div>


Chef Mario Traina in the kitchen with an apron on.

Chef Mario Traina

A man cutting watermelon beside a truck filled with watermelons in Sicily.

Features

Gelo di Mellone and a Family’s Sicilian Summers

<p>I am the idea behind and the co-founder of Mama Mancini’s. I am also a home cook, an obsessed entrepreneur, traveler, foodie, and I love sharing all of it with anyone who wants to listen. I believe passion fuels ideas and there is no such thing as a bad idea or too much passion. I look at the picture of my grandmother, Anna Mancini, holding me as a baby and think wow if my grandmother only knew that all those countless days of me learning how to cook by her side in Brooklyn would turn into this. After 25 years in the garment industry, I decided in 2007 it was time for a change. My idea: real meatballs made the authentic Italian way and sold in real sauce. To me there was no other way they should be offered, that was my big idea and Mama Mancini’s was born. The rest is history. So, I say this to everyone who has an idea: never give up; don’t listen to the people who say it won’t work. No idea is a bad idea and always chase your dreams. Let’s cook.</p>


Daniel Mancini

Classic Neapolitan ragù with slow-cooked meat and tomato sauce

Recipes

Classic Neapolitan Grandma-Style Ragù 

Sicilian watermelon pudding topped with pistachios, chocolate and jasmine flowers.

Gelo di Mellone: A Sicilian Family Recipe Remembered

<p>Hello. My name is Joanna Moeller, and I am a passionate home cook residing in downtown Manhattan for 20+ years. I started my Instagram cooking page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spaghettiroots_nyc/"><u>@spaghettiroots_nyc </u></a>in April, 2023, as a way to showcase my cooking, as I initially intended for it to be more of an inspirational cooking page featuring my &#8220;No recipe, recipes.&#8221; It has truly been a wonderfully creative outlet for me.</p>


Joanna Moeller

Chicken Meatball Scarpariello with Italian sausage, cherry peppers and fresh basil.

How to Make Chicken Meatball Scarpariello 

<div>Carola Frediani is from Sarzana (a small town in the province of La Spezia) in Italy. She is currently working on her masters in travel journalism with STJ. She is passionate about travel, storytelling, and photography.  In the past six years, Carola has traveled and lived in the United Kingdom, China, Australia, and Spain. She loves exploring new places and learning new cultures, and is also a qualified yoga teacher.</div>
<div></div>
<div>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/carola-frediani/">carola-frediani</a></div>
<div>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/carolafrediani/">@carolafrediani</a></div>


Carola Frediani

Ligurian testaroli with basil pesto and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on a white plate.

Testaroli: Liguria’s Simplest Comfort Food

<p>Culinary artist Danielle Caminiti is a lawyer and recipe developer whose site, <a href="https://www.haveucoveredinthekitchen.com/">Have U Covered in the Kitchen</a>, features dozens of great recipes spanning Italian food to Mediterranean cuisine and beyond.</p>


Danielle Caminiti

Welcome Fall With Pumpkin Pie Pizzelle

About Us

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Register to continue

News, stories, and recipes for anyone who loves Italian food, wine, spirits, and travel

Appetito

<section class="docx" data-split-clone="true">
<article>Theresa Greco is a culinary journalist, storyteller, and creator of T<a href="http://www.foodhuntersguide.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine</a>, where she explores food, cocktails, travel, and the traditions that bring people to the table.</p>
<p>Her writing spans the culinary world, from regional and global cuisines to seasonal ingredients, celebrated chefs, emerging food trends, product reviews, and the stories behind the dishes we love. Deeply inspired by Italian food and culture, Theresa’s perspective is shaped by both the Italian-American table she grew up around and the regional cuisine she has discovered throug her travels in Italy.</p>
</article>
</section>
<section class="docx" data-split-clone="true">
<article>Whether exploring a regional dish, discovering a new ingredient, or sharing the experience of a memorable meal, Theresa believes the best food writing does more than describe what is on the plate—it invites us to taste a place, understand its culture, and see the world from a different perspective. You can find her on Instagram: @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/foodhunter" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">foodhunter</a></p>
</article>
</section>


Theresa Greco

Bowl of pizzoccheri beside a bottle and glass of red wine with Lake Como in the background.

How a Conversation with Stanley Tucci Led Me to Pizzoccheri

<p>Lowcountry Bella (Mandi Casey) is Italian by birth and Southern by choice. Moving to eastern North Carolina as a young girl, she was exposed to a whole new type of cuisine like BBQ and hush puppies. As an adult, she embraces both cultures so you never know what she may be cooking up in her kitchen! Currently she lives in both Pawleys Island, South Carolina and Fort Mill, South Carolina.</p>
<p>Her family continues to grow, and that makes her happy because there are more people to feed and love. What&#8217;s better than that?</p>
<p>In addition to creating, cooking and sharing great recipes, she loves to research the history of food origins. Understanding the flavors and ingredients helps her creativity, but more-so, appreciate the meal with even more passion.</p>
<p>Mandi loves to be a guest of events, signing books and donating a portion of her net proceeds to local charities. Her second cookbook, <em>Mangia Y&#8217;all &#8211; Make Everyday Delicious</em>, was released in July 2025.</p>
<p>Please follow her on her website <a href="http://www.lowcountrybella.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.lowcountrybella.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1705416623316000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2qLX1Ag56lHqdrjNXYhkQG">www.lowcountrybella.com </a>or on social media: @lowcountrybella on both Instagram and Facebook.</p>
<p>Mangia Y’all!</p>


Mandi Casey of Low Country Bella on a foam green Vespa in a floral skirt.

Lowcountry Bella

Handmade pici pasta strand being held in a kitchen

Pasta School with Lowcountry Bella: How to Make Pici Pasta

<p><a href="https://www.sarahhallier.com/">Sarah Campise Hallier</a> is the associate editor of Appetito Magazine and co-founder of <a href="https://www.forkboundfoodies.com/">Forkbound Foodies</a>, where <span class="wixui-rich-text__text">she shares exceptional culinary and travel experiences</span>.</p>
<p>She is also a board member of Poggioreale in America Inc, a nonprofit committed to preserving the history and cultural heritage of Western Sicilians and their diaspora. Featured in Italy Magazine, The Local IT, la Repubblica, and We the Italians, Sarah enjoys covering everything from cultural identity to the evolving Italian-American food experience.</p>
<p>A California girl at heart, when she’s not crafting food, travel and wellness stories, she’s chasing down the best foodie finds on her travels and sharing them at <a title="https://www.instagram.com/foodiesfromca/" href="https://www.instagram.com/forkboundfoodies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@forkBOUNDfoodies</a>.  Subscribe to her <a href="https://www.sarahhallier.com/about-1">newsletter</a> to keep up to date on the best places to eat, stay and tour.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Sarah Campise Hallier

Dinner by candlelight at Glorietta. Photo credit: Patty Schmidt of Forkbound Foodies

Travel

Glorietta Brings Wood-Fired Italian Cooking to Jackson Hole

<p>By training, Chiara Montalto Giannini is an actress and a writer, but she has been cooking since before she can remember. As an actress and a writer, her solo play, <i>A Brooklyn Love Story &#8211; </i>based on the decade she spent living in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn with her grandfather &#8211; was produced Off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York and at Theatre 68 in Los Angeles, where it was directed by Ronnie Marmo. Currently, she is the Director of the Writers Guild Initiative, a non-profit affiliated with the WGAE that shares the tools of writing and creative expression with different communities. She&#8217;s also a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and the Dramatists Guild. At Appetito, Chiara will share recipes from her childhood and those she has learned through her extensive pursuit of Italian food both here and abroad.</p>


Chiara Montalto Giannini

post

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Zucchini Flowers.

<p>Morgan Hines is a New York City-based contributor for Appetito. She loves learning about and experiencing Italian cuisine and culture. Morgan is a full time reporter at PhocusWire and also contributes to Hotels Above Par, Women&#8217;s Wear Daily, Footwear News, etc. She was previously a full time reporter at USA TODAY and holds degrees from Columbia University and Georgetown University. Follow her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/morganemhines/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@morganemhines?lang=en">TikTok</a> at <a>@MorganEmHines. </a></p>


Morgan Hines

Four hands toast with pink Sarti Spritz cocktails against a blue sky.

How to Make Fresh Tomato Sauce with Zucchini Flowers

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Zucchini Flowers

Ingredients

Directions

Did you make this recipe?

Like this recipe?

Follow us on Facebook!

Tagged:

Stay in touch

More Stories