homemade rolled zucchini bake
Let’s cut to the chase and skip all the foodie chit chat. You want to eat this! Let’s get to the details.
Ingredients:
2 zucchinis or about 1 1/2 pounds (ends trimmed, sliced the long way in 1/4 inch thick strips)
EVOO
S+P
6oz lamb sausage (removed from casings) I used lamb merguez sausage from Fabrique Delices but any seasoned high quality sausage will work. Go italian sausage for ease of purchase.
16oz marinara sauce
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup large curd cottage cheese (strained if liquidy)
4Tbsp shredded Parmesan
2Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil both sides of zucchini and sprinkle with salt. Lay out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 7 minutes. Flip zucchini slices and bake for another 7 minutes, until zucchini is softened. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
While the zucchini bakes cook the lamb sausage. In a frying pan over medium heat warm a drizzle of olive oil. Add the sausage and cook through, breaking it up into small bits. After cooked add the marinara sauce and simmer on low to heat through, do not over cook.
While the meat sauce simmers, prepare the cheese mixture. In a small bowl mix together the ricotta, cottage cheese, 2Tbsp parmesan cheese, and parsley; season with salt and pepper.
Assemble:
Spread half the meat sauce in a small baking dish.
Roll a spoonful of cheese mixture inside each zucchini strip. Set the zucchini rolls into the sauce.
Spoon out the rest of the sauce into the dish between and or over the zucchini rolls.
Dollop any remaining cheese mixture in spaces that need filled in, in between the zucchini rolls.
Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
Bake:
Bake for about 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.
Enjoy!
