Zucchini involtini
Zucchini involtini
Involtini is an Italian dish that consists of a filling rolled up in some type of outer layer. The name involtini comes from the Italian word involto, which means small bundle, wrap, or parcel. I’ve only ever had involtini with meat (usually veal) in Italy but I thought I’d try out a vegetarian version, with zucchini as the outer layer. Aubergine would also work really well here. This is a super delicious and dish and a nice alternative to pasta!
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the filling
250g ricotta
300g chard (or spinach, kale, cavolo nero)
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted and roughly crushed
Small handful fresh thyme
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
For the sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tin (400g) plum tomatoes
Few sprigs of fresh basil (with leaves attached)
2 large zucchini
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C
Slice the zucchini lengthways into thin strips (about 1/2 cm - don’t worry if you don’t get them perfect). Place in a single layer on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until soft enough to roll.
While the zucchini is in the oven, make the sauce. Add a couple tbsp of olive oil to a small saucepan on a medium heat, along with the peeled whole garlic clove. Once the garlic starts to colour, add the tomatoes and basil stalks. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly.
To make the filling, finely chop the chard and cook with some olive oil in a frying pan for a few minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a bowl and add the ricotta, lemon zest, almonds, thyme and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Place a thin layer of the ricotta mixture along the length of a zucchini strip and then roll. Repeat with the remaining zucchini and filling.
Spoon the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish and place the involtini on top, seam side down. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden on top and the sauce has reduced.
