Zucchini Rollatini

zucchini rollatini

What do you do with overgrown zucchini from the garden?  Well, I decided to put them to good use by making this zucchini rollatini.  It's more commonly made with eggplant, but the one's from our garden were not big enough to make slices for rolling.  So when you've gone away from the garden or have neglected it a bit too long, grab those oversized zucchinis and put them to good use.

Makes: 8-10 rolls
Prep Time: 1-2hr
Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients

2 large zucchinis, thickly sliced (~1/4 inch)
3 Tbsp olive oil
16 oz ricotta cheese
2 bunches fresh spinach, chopped and steamed
4 shallots, thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups pasta sauce
1 can cannellini beans
1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• steam spinach and bring pasta sauce to simmer
• saute zucchini slices in olive oil until soft and lightly browned
• lightly salt and pepper one side of each slice and set a side
• saute scallions and garlic in remainder of olive oil
• puree cannellini beans, garlic, 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper, consistency should be slightly thick but not lumpy, add water if too thick
• place 2-3 Tbsp ricotta along the center portion of each zucchini slice
• top with a thin layer of spinach and shallot/garlic mxture
• roll from the narrow side to the wide side
• top roll with cannellini sauce
• line bottom of large pyrex dish with pasta sauce and cook for about 30 min
• serve atop light layer of sauce on plate and top roll with fresh chopped parsley

Potential Alternatives:

• try with eggplant or summer squash
• use cannellini paste in place of ricotta to make vegan
• use a white sauce instead of cannellini paste
• try with mushrooms and/or sun-dried tomatoes