This healthy recipe with ricotta cheese features strips of zucchini instead of pasta for vegetarian ravioli stuffed with spinach and fresh pesto.
Preparation Time
35 mins
Cooking Time
20 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Calories
267 Calories
Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 2
Bake in the preheated oven until sauce and zucchini begin to brown, about 20 minutes.
Step 3
Make filling: Mix together ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
Step 4
Make pesto: Grind together basil, extra-virgin olive oil, and garlic into a chunky paste using a mortar and pestle. Add pine nuts to pesto; crush until nuts are coarsely ground. Set aside.
Step 5
Slice zucchini lengthwise into 18 strips using a mandoline. Lay 2 zucchini strips in the shape of a cross on a work surface. Drop a spoonful of filling in the middle of the cross. Top with a dollop of pesto. Fold ends into the center to create a parcel, starting from the bottom end and moving clockwise. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining zucchini strips, filling, and pesto.
Step 6
Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Arrange zucchini parcels on top, about 1/2-inch apart. Top each parcel with remaining pasta sauce. Sprinkle with Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped spinach
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
