A Note Before You Start
While this hors d’oeuvre has a lot of steps, it’s worth the effort in my opinion! If possible, try to find zucchini that are 8”- 9” in length and no fatter than 1”. The reason for this is, once rolled, you want the finished rollatini size to still be small enough to gracefully be eaten in one bite.
Ingredients
2 9” long zucchini with a diameter of no larger than an inch, if possible
6 slices of prosciutto cut or torn into 4” long pieces
1 & ½ cups of your favorite tomato sauce; I happen to love Rao’s Marinara
2/3 cup of ricotta cheese
1 cup of shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil (or an EVOO spray)
1 TBSP julienned fresh basil
1 large egg beaten
2 tsp of lemon zest
Salt and Pepper
Preparation
Step1: Trim the ends off the zucchinis. If you have a mandoline, slice your zucchini about ⅛” thick. Cut each slice in half. If you don’t have a mandoline, cut each zucchini in half lengthwise so you now have 4 pieces approximately 4&½” long. Stand each piece up on a cutting board and make ⅛” slices.
Step 2: Preheat your grill to medium and while it’s heating up, prepare your zucchini slices. Lay each piece on a parchment lined baking tray and brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Once your grill is hot enough, grill each side for approx 1 minutes on each side. Watch them closely as grill temps vary considerably. You want them to soften, and be pliable for rolling, but not over cooked. Remember they will be filled, rolled and warmed again so don’t overcook them. Once softened, remove from the grill and place back on the sheet pan. While they cool down, and then make the filling.
Alternatively, if you do not have a grill or grill pan, you can blanch them in boiling salted water for about 60 seconds. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate or tray.
Step 3: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Put the marinara in a shallow baking dish and set aside. Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, lemon zest and basil in a bowl. Add ½ tsp each of salt and pepper. Next take 1 TBSP of the beaten egg and add it to the cheese mixture (discard the rest). This will help bind the cheese mixture together. Spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture on top of the grilled zucchini until the last ½”. Top each with a piece with a piece of prosciutto and roll up and place in the baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the rollatini and place on a serving plate or platter. Spoon the marinara on top of the rollatini. Place a toothpick into each and serve!