Zucchini Involtini with Basil Pesto & Almond Ricotta
This Zucchini Involtini recipe is wildly decadent, despite being 100% dairy free. This vegan involini recipe features fresh basil pesto and plant-based almond ricotta cheese.
Ingredients
Almond Ricotta
- 1 cup blanched almonds
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
Basil Pesto
- 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
- 2 cups fresh basil plus additional basil leaves as garnishment
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Zucchini Involtini
- 3 medium zucchinis washed
- 1/2 tsp salt + additional salt to sprinkle on zucchini
- 1 lb cremini mushrooms washed and sliced
- 1/2 cup red wine optional
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the blanched almonds to a heat-safe bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside.
- Heat a small skillet on medium-low heat. When hot, add the pine nuts to the skillet and toast lightly. About 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Combine the fresh basil, cooled pine nuts, garlic clove, salt, lemon juice, nutritional yeast & crushed red pepper in a food processor. Pulse until no large pieces remain. Stir in the extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
- Dice one zucchini. Set aside.
- Trim the ends of the remaining two zucchinis. Stand each zucchini on a trimmed end and slice lengthwise into thin strips. When all the zucchini has been sliced, lay the slices out on a clean towel and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and red wine to a large skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has cooked off.
- Add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, salt, diced onion and diced zucchini to the skillet. Sauté until the onions are soft and slightly browned. About 6-8 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning and tomato paste to the skillet. Stir until the mushrooms and zucchini are coated and sauté until the tomato paste is fragrant and dark red. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Drain the soaked almonds and combine the drained almonds, ¾ cup water, lemon juice, salt and nutritional yeast in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth, adding additional water 1 tbsp at a time if necessary.
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Pat the zucchini dry with a clean towel and wrap in a paper towel. Steam the zucchini in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften. Be careful when removing the zucchini from the microwave.
- Cover the bottom of an oven-safe casserole dish with 2 cups of marinara sauce.
- Lay out the slices of zucchini on a cutting board and add a thin layer of basil pesto.
- Add a small amount of almond ricotta and 2-3 tsp of the mushroom & zucchini filling.
- Roll each of the zucchini slices and place them in the casserole dish. Add a spoonful of marinara sauce to the top of each roll. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
- Bake the involtini in the oven for 30 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling and the zucchini bright green.
- Serve immediately, garnished with fresh ground pepper, crushed red pepper and fresh basil.
Notes
- Watch the pine nuts carefully. They will go from toasted to burned very quickly!
- Salting the zucchini helps it to shed its water content. This will prevent your finished dish from being watery.
- Want to skip the wine? No problem, just swap it out for an equal amount of water or vegetable broth.
- After it was fully cooked, I pulsed the filling in my mini food processor for a quick minute. It makes it easier to roll the zucchini.
- This recipe makes more almond ricotta than required. You can freeze it and use it in a later recipe for about 3 months.
- Quickly steaming the zucchini in the microwave makes it more pliable for rolling.
- Gluten free? Skip the breadcrumbs.
- Want to make it more of a meal? Serve the involtini with angel hair pasta tossed in any leftover marinara sauce and pesto sauce.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!