🍃Veggie Packages, Served Over Lemony Pasta
I continue my endless summer quest to find new ways to cook with zucchini. If you’re tired of zucchini, don’t give up! Try this recipe! I promise, you’re going to love it! This time, zucchini bundles! Razor thin, noodle-like ribbons of zucchini, filled with creamy ricotta cheese and topped with pesto. Wrapped up and topped with lemon 🍋 and baked. It’s light but satisfying and filled with fresh summer 🌞 goodness. Hopefully, right from your garden, farmers market or local grocery store.
I made these little bundles in no time. I baked them, then served them on top of a bed of spaghetti noodles. Just a light, lemony 🍋 veggie 🥒 packed dinner. My husband ❤️ loved it too. It’s a perfect dinner or even great for lunch. Here’s how I made it!
Oh My 💕 Darling, Mandolin
If you don’t have one of these, I say go out and get one! I use mine all the time. If you say to yourself, well, I’ve gotten along fine without one all this time, so I don’t really see the purpose….I say, think 🤔 again. It will make your 👩🏻🍳 cooking life not only easier, but you will come up with a million uses for your mandolin. Stuff you’ve been working 10 times as hard for results that are not nearly as good. One thing I do insist on, now that I’ve learned the ugly way, is that you have to use the safety guard. That’s the law! The one and only rule, then all good things will come to you, and so quickly too!
I can slice 10 zucchini in perfect, consistent thickness in no time at all. I use it for so many veggies. It’s great for onions, cabbage, potatoes, you name it, and it’s the greatest thing since sliced………….(no one says that anymore do they?)
The Simple Steps
First, slice a few zucchini on the 1/16 setting for the thinnest strips. You will get lots of thin, ribbon like sheets of zucchinni. Lay them out in a star. Then, add a dollop of ricotta cheese, then a dollop of pesto.
Close the ribbons in on themselves, forming a little bundle. Set them into a baking pan, with the seem sides facing down. Slice a small lemon on the mandonlin using the 1/8 setting. Put lemon slices surrounding the zucchini packages, or even right on top of the bundles. Squeeze a little lemon juice on top of the bundle, then drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.
Make as many bundles as you need. I think 1-2 per person is a good number.
If you are looking to make fresh ricotta, you can get my recipe for Ricotta Cheese From Scratch https://wp.me/p9KEfL-9P Or, just use store bought. If you want to make some homemade pesto, you can get my recipe here https://wp.me/p9KEfL-BQ It’s delicious and easy, but if you want to make this super quick, use store bought pesto.
Bake bundles for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees until they are golden brown.
Cook dried pasta noodles according to the package directions, drain. Toss with 1 tablespoon butter and lemon juice, zest and some of the pasta water to thicken the sauce a bit.
Toss with salt and freshly ground pepper and chopped, fresh, basil or parsley. Place bundle on top of each serving.
Zucchini “Bundles” Filled With Ricotta and Pesto
Ingredients
- 1-2 small to medium size fresh zucchini
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup pesto sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 3 lemons, divided. I sliced 2 zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 package dried Linguini or spaghetti noodles
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil or parsley
Instructions
- Slice zucchini on mandolin, using the 1/16 setting for the thinnest strips. Lay them out in a star, using about 6 strips per bundle. Then, add a dollop of ricotta cheese, then a dollop of pesto. Close the ribbons in on themselves, forming a little bundle. Set them into a baking pan, with the seem sides facing down. Slice a small lemon on the mandolin using the 1/8 setting. Put lemon slices surrounding the zucchini bundles, or right on top of the bundles. Squeeze a little lemon juice on top of the bundle, then drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Make as many bundles as you need. (1-2 per person)
- Bake bundles for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees until they are golden brown.
- Cook dried pasta noodles according to the package directions, drain. Toss with 1 tablespoon butter and juice and zest of 2 lemons and some of the pasta water to thicken the sauce a bit. Toss with salt and freshly ground pepper and chopped, fresh, basil or parsley. Place 1 or 2 bundles on top of each serving. Serve with cooked lemons.
Recipe from Karen https://www.bittersaltysoursweet.com
