Description
Delicious and light Zucchini Rollatini made with thinly sliced zucchini rolled around a flavorful ricotta and Italian sausage filling, baked with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect as a healthy main or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Zucchini and Drying
- 3 small/medium zucchini, sliced into 28 very thin slices
- salt for sprinkling
- paper towels for drying
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage, ground
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 whole egg
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Topping and Sauce
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- about 1 cup marinara sauce (divided)
- cooking spray for the casserole dish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F to get it ready for baking the zucchini slices and the assembled rollatini.
- Prepare Zucchini Slices: Slice the zucchini into very thin strips, about 28 slices total, so they are pliable enough to roll. Lay them out on paper towels, sprinkle salt over the top, then cover with more paper towels. Let them sit for 20 minutes to draw out moisture.
- Dry Zucchini: After 20 minutes, pat the zucchini slices dry with paper towels. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes to remove additional moisture, ensuring the rollatini won’t make your marinara watery.
- Cook Italian Sausage: While zucchini bakes, brown the Italian sausage in a small frying pan over medium heat until fully cooked. Remove from heat, let cool, and pat dry to remove excess grease.
- Make Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked sausage, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, chopped basil, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together until well incorporated.
- Assemble Rollatini: Once zucchini slices have cooled, pat dry again if needed. Place a small amount of filling in the center of each slice and spread evenly, leaving a small border around the edges. Carefully roll up each slice and place seam-side down in a casserole dish coated with cooking spray.
- Add Sauce and Cheese: Spoon about half of the marinara sauce into the casserole dish before adding the rolls. After arranging all the rollatini, pour remaining marinara sauce over the top, then sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
- Bake: Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 23 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Notes
- Serving size is about 3-4 roll ups; the recipe yields 28 rollatini total, so adjust servings according to zucchini size and appetite.
- If you prefer, substitute Italian sausage with ground beef sautéed with minced garlic, or omit meat entirely and increase ricotta for a vegetarian option.
- Using paper towels to dry zucchini thoroughly prevents excess moisture in the casserole, keeping the sauce from turning watery.
- Make sure zucchini slices are thin and pliable to avoid cracking when rolling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 rollatini
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
