Summer is a time when garden fresh zucchini are everywhere and everyone is looking for a delicious – but light – dinner. That’s where these Zucchini Involtini with Lemon and Ricotta come in. Fresh, bright, light, and bursting with flavor, these will elevate any summer meal and pair perfectly with fresh fish or chicken on the grill!
The creamy ricotta filling is flavored with aromatics like garlic and shallots, while the zucchini swirls take on a slight char from the grill. Lemon lifts the flavors of the dish while salty pecorino cheese provides umami. I enjoy these zucchini involtini as both a light appetizer or a simple side dish. Plus, this is the perfect way to use up all that extra zucchini that seems to accumulate in our gardens!
Bringing this dish together is easy. Folding together the ricotta filling while the zucchini slices dehydrate slightly saves time. All thats left after that is grill, roll, and bake!
Zucchini Involtini with Lemon and Ricotta
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- salt to taste
- 2 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- olive oil as needed
- 3 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 lemon plus slices for serving
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- ½ cup mozzarella shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F.
- Slice the zucchini in half horizontally, then slice each half vertically into ¼ inch thick slices. Lightly salt the slices and lay them between two paper towels on a baking sheet. Place another baking sheet on top of the slices and weigh it down with weights or cans. Allow the zucchini to press for 10-20 minutes to remove excess water.
- While the zucchini is pressing, make the filling. Finely dice the shallots and garlic and sauté in olive oil until soft and translucent. Mix the shallots and garlic into the ricotta, along with the zest and juice from the lemon, fresh thyme, and salt and black pepper to taste. After you have tasted the filling and adjusted the seasoning to your liking, mix in the egg.
- Lightly oil the zucchini slices with olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper, before grilling on medium-high heat, 2-3 minutes per side or until the slices are lightly charred and soft.
- When the slices have cooled enough to handle, spread a couple heaping teaspoons of the filling onto each slice, and carefully roll into a tube. Place each zucchini roll vertically into a baking dish, packing them together to help keep them from falling over. When the dish is filled, sprinkle a generous coating of pecorino romano and shredded mozzarella over the top.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted (optional: broil for the last few minutes of baking to really bubble the cheese on top).
- Serve with lemon slices for squeezing on top!
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