Name: Ricotta and Zucchini Cannelloni
Yield: 4–6 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (180g) frozen peas (easy peasy!); 2 eggs; 1 1/2 cups (360g) fresh firm ricotta; 2 cups (50g) baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped; 1/4 cup finely chopped mint; 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind (a tasty trick); Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste; 3–4 zucchinis (courgettes), thinly sliced lengthways using a mandolin (you’ll need about 24 long slices); 2 cups (500ml) tomato puree (passata); 1/2 cup (50g) grated mozzarella

Overhead shot of zucchini cannelloni in baking pan with a few rolls removed and a serving spoon resting in the corner.

Photo by William Meppem and Chris Court

This simple weeknight dish relies on zucchini ribbons instead of noodles, and is stuffed with a zippy ricotta-pea filling.

Recipe information

Yield
4–6 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (180g) frozen peas (easy peasy!)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups (360g) fresh firm ricotta

2 cups (50g) baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped mint

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind (a tasty trick)

Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

3–4 zucchinis (courgettes), thinly sliced lengthways using a mandolin (you’ll need about 24 long slices)

2 cups (500ml) tomato puree (passata)

1/2 cup (50g) grated mozzarella

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Step 2
Place the peas in a colander and rinse them under hot running water to thaw. Drain well and place in a big bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, roughly mash the peas. Crack the eggs on top and add the ricotta, spinach, mint, lemon rind, salt and pepper. Mix well with a spatula.
Step 3
Place 1 heaped tablespoon of the pea mixture at one end of each slice of zucchini. Roll up the slices to enclose the filling.
Step 4
Pour the puree into a 22cm x 30cm (2-litre-capacity) baking dish. Nestle the zucchini rolls into the dish so they fit snugly. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Wear your oven gloves to take the dish from the oven and allow to cool a little, before spooning onto serving plates.

Book cover for Basics to Brilliance Kids by Donna Hay featuring a bowl full of flour on a floured countertop.

From Basics to Brilliance Kids: A Healthy Book for Big and Little Cooks © 2018 by Donna Hay. Reprinted by permission of 4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.

Recipe notes

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