Among the many jewish foods that have become popular, you don’t always hear about the Italian ones. This jewish Roman recipe for marinated zucchini (called concia di zucchine in Italian) is a really flavorful way to prepare this veggie and bring the flavors of Italy to this rather subdued plant. But, of course that’s the lovely thing about zucchini isn’t it? They sort of just take on the flavors of whatever you pair them with.

The slices of zucchini are first fried, then marinated in layers of parsley, basil, and garlic, spiced up with a bit of vinegar. While the flavors are Italian, it’s thought that the idea for marinating the zucchini slices comes from Spain. This is where Sephardic jews traveled from to Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries following the Alhambra Decree.

There’s a bit of fresh garlic in the mix which really infuses with the other ingredients the longer it sits. Some recipes call for twice the garlic, but since it’s not being cooked you want to go light on the garlic so that it doesn’t completely overpower the rest of the ingredients. The size of your zucchini will also affect how much of the other ingredients to use in the layering process.

You can leave the zucchini slices in for at least 6 hours, but overnight or even longer is better. Once this has had a chance to properly marinate then it’s time to dig in.

This marinated zucchini is wonderful spooned on top of some ciabatta rolls or some focaccia bread for an appetizer or light lunch. Or you can have it as a side dish to a pasta or meat dish at dinner.

Without even attempting to fit into modern diet fads this dish happens to be gluten-free and vegan, so it works well with a huge range of meals. This tasty, tender veggie dish has some deep roots, but brings a fresh flavor to the dinner table.