Filled with creamy ricotta cheese, spinach, mushrooms and walnuts for texture! When you need a break from pasta, these are the PERFECT alternative...
Ingredients
150g of frozen spinach
Small brown onion or 1/2 large
3 garlic cloves
200g mushrooms
Egg
50g of parmesan cheese
Handful of parsley
250g of ricotta
4 medium zucchini
Crushed tomatoes (either canned or glass bottle pureed.
100g cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of walnuts
Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Stage 1
Option 1
If you are using a food processor (or blender/bullet) you don't have to cut your vegetables finely as they will blend later.
Saute garlic, onion and mushroom for a few minutes.
Add the frozen spinach and continue to cook. Mixture is ready once ALL the liquid is gone. Extra liquid equals runny mixture and it will be difficult to keep in zucchini pockets later.
Allow to cool in a bowl for at least 5 minutes. Add ricotta, parmesan, 90% of chopped walnuts and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add egg and cool.
Option 2
No blender? No problem!
Take a few extra minutes to finely cut all of your ingredients and follow same steps.
Stage 2
Allow your mixture to cool. Ideally an hour in the fridge, however 10 minutes in the freezer can also do the trick!
Cooler mix will be easier to work with and not slide out of the pockets as you make them.
See next slide for wrapping…
While your mixture cools, thinly slice length wise the zucchinis (approximately 2mm thickness). When cutting, the slices don't have to be perfect. You'll see on next slide you can hide the ends easily! You can also use a peeler, however I find this method easier to get a thick slice.
Using a pan, lightly grill each piece for 1-2 minutes on each side.
Allow to cool in between paper towel.
Grilling brings out a lot of the stored moisture in the zucchini, will help the wrapping process and in general enhance the end result.. so don't miss this step!
Stage 3
Place 4 zucchini slices in a cross hash or weave pattern.
Spoon heaped tablepoon into center.
Fold edge closest to you away to the top, fold in left and right sides and roll away from yourself to top.
See next slide for demo
Carefully place into oven proof tray. Glass or ceramic is preferred, however metal lined with foil will also work well.
Cover with two tablespoons of tomato sauce on each and sprinkle cheddar cheese and remaining walnuts on top.
Bake at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
If cheese isn't brown and crispy by this stage, turn on grill and brown for 5 minutes.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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