Chef notes
No pasta, no problem! In this dish, zucchini does all the work. Using a vegetable peeler makes thin, pliable strips of zucchini that create the perfect little dumplings of ricotta filling — no need to cook them beforehand. Comforting and cheesy but still bright and fresh tasting, this is a great dinner all year long.
Technique tip: Make sure to use a wide shallow skillet to cook the rolls so the water from the zucchini can evaporate and the sauce doesn't become too liquidy.
Swap option: This dish calls for prosciutto, but feel free to omit it to make the recipe vegetarian.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese, excess liquid drained out
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 cups marinara sauce, divided
- 2 large zucchini, sliced into thin strips with a vegetable peeler
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4-6 ounces)
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 450 F.
2.With a rubber spatula, mix the ricotta, spinach, oregano, Parmesan, prosciutto, egg and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside.
3.Evenly coat a large baking dish or braising pan with the olive oil. Pour one cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the pan.
4.On a clean cutting board or work surface, dollop about a tablespoon of the ricotta-spinach filling on one end of a zucchini slice, then roll the zucchini up. Place the roll in the skillet either standing up or seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining slices of zucchini and ricotta filling.
5.Carefully ladle the remaining cup of marinara over and in between the zucchini rolls. Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella.
6.Bake in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and the excess liquid from the zucchini has evaporated. Serve hot.
