ZUCCHINI ROLLATINI

Ingredients

The Sauce: Note – you can also use your favorite store-bought sauce and skip this step

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large sweet onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons Dish off the Block Ciao Bella Italian Spice Blend

½ cup dry red wine

2, 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes (San Marzano are the best if possible)

1, 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons sugar

The Zucchini:

4-5 pounds large zucchini, 10-12” long (about 3)

½ cup olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons Dish off the Block Ciao Bella Italian Spice Blend

The Filling:

3 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, packed and chiffonade

Instructions

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Cook the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Ciao Bella Italian seasoning to the pan and continue cooking for 1 minute to let your spices bloom. Add the red wine, all of the tomatoes, and sugar to the pan. Bring to boil and then turn your heat to medium low. Let cook at a low boil while you prepare the zucchini, stirring occasionally. You can also make this sauce hours in advance or the day before – the flavors get better and better over time.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil and coat with non-stick spray.

Cut the zucchinis, lengthwise into ¼ – ½” thick strips and lay them side by side, in a single layer, on the baking sheets. Generously drizzle half of the olive oil all over the tops and rub it over the strips with your fingers to evenly coat. Flip the strips over and coat the other side with the rest of the olive oil. Season them evenly all over with the salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the Ciao Bella Italian spice blend. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and pliable. Take them out of the oven and gently loosen the strips with a spatula to make sure none are sticking (they are likely to stick more as they cool, so this will make them easier to handle). Let them cool while you make the filling.

Combine the ricotta, 3 cups of the mozzarella, the parmesan, and eggs in a large bowl and mix well.

Coat a 9” x 13” or similar size baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread 1 cup of the sauce evenly in the bottom of the pan.

Place about ¼-⅓ cup of the filling on the end (closest to you) of one of the zucchini strips. Roll the zucchini over the filling jelly-roll-style and place the roll, filling-side-up, in the pan. Repeat with the remaining zucchini strips and filling until your pan is full. If you have leftover filling or smaller strips, just tuck them into the sides of the pan or put more filling the on the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of Ciao Bella over the tops of the rolls.

Top the casserole with 3 cups of the sauce and spread the remaining 2 cups of cheese over the top.

Bake for 25-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the casserole is hot throughout and bubbly. Let rest for 10-15 minutes to set a bit. Garnish with basil and serve with more parmesan on the side for sprinkling.