Ricotta stuffed zucchini ribbons baked in marinara topped with mozzarella and fresh basil. This recipe takes all the deliciousness of a lasagna, and streamlines it with zucchini instead of pasta, making this a lower carb option for a decadent night of Italian indulgence.
This dish takes a nod from several recipes, but mostly resembles Half Baked Harvest’s Eggplant Zucchini Pesto Involtini, linked below. I streamlined a couple of steps, including baking the entire dish in one pan, reducing mess and clean up. I stick with zucchini and summer squash, as I don’t love eggplant, but you can check out her version if you want to combine both options. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/eggplant-zucchini-pesto-involtini/
One of the key steps is salting (and I use pepper too for flavor) the zucchini strips and allowing them to sit for at least 10 minutes so they become more pliable. This will allow you to roll them into little pillows filled with ricotta and pesto…
The zucchini roll up’s can be done as single or double’s, as the recipe states. The pictures are a single version, which leaves a thicker zucchini layer and the filling falls out, but either way it’s great and absolutely delicious!
The picture above shows the dish before baking, this time with fresh mozzarella which is a nice upgrade. Wing this to your own tastes – it’s flexible, easy, and for a one pan meal it looks kind of impressive if you want my opinion…
Zucchini Involtini
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. spicy Italian chicken sausage, removed from casings
- 28 oz Marinara - I like Rao's
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried
- 4 large zucchini or yellow summer squash
- 16 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 3/4 cup prepared basil pesto (I like Kirkland's at Costco)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup torn fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400° F
- Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch wide strips and lay them flat on paper towel-lined baking sheets (you will need 2). You should have around 30 strips. Sprinkle the zucchini liberally with kosher salt. Allow them to sit for about 10 minutes (while you make the sauce and the filling), as the salt will soften the zucchini so you can roll it more easily.
- To make the sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and brown the chicken sausage until no longer pink, about 6-7 minutes. Add the marinara, oregano, and season with salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, fontina, basil, and 1/2 cup pesto. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble, blot any excess moisture on the zucchini. Take 2 zucchini strips and lay them into a criss cross pattern (like you are making a plus sign, or a "x"). Spoon about 2 Tbsp of the ricotta filling onto the center of the "x", and fold the ends around like you are wrapping a present. Place each little zucchini package seam-side down into the pan of sauce, nestling into place. Alternatively you can simply roll one zucchini strip with a dollop of the ricotta mixture, making little zucchini rolls - this version may have the filling spill out more, making a messier finished dish, but it's all equally delicious!
- Top with little dollops of the remaining 1/4 cup pesto, and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Finish with the grated parmesan, and back for about 20-25 minutes, until the dish is bubbling and starting to brown on top. If needed, you can pop it under the broiler for a minute as well.
- Finish with fresh basil, and serve right out of the pan!
Notes
