COURGETTE INVOLTINI

lemon and basil ricotta stuffed courgette rolls in fresh tomato sauce

Hi and happy almost weekend,

The weather in London has been making me feel like I have been on holiday all week and I have eaten ice cream every day for the last four days which is always a good thing. I’m sharing a recipe that reminds me very much of holidays this week, specifically my honeymoon. A COURGETTE BASIL AND RICOTTA INVOLTINI with fresh tomato sauce.

INVOLTINI is an Italian dish and is made with thinly sliced meat (often veal or beef) or vegetables rolled around various fillings and usually baked in a sauce. I first made involtini on my honeymoon in Sardinia. Freddie and I spent the evening griddling thin slices of aubergine on the rickety BBQ that sat outside the kitchen. It was so small I think we only managed about two slices at a time and we spent hours ping-ponging between the BBQ and stirring tomato sauce in the kitchen. We ended up making so much that we ate it for the next four days. The last of it was enjoyed on the final night with a chorus of pickles, cheese and overripe tomatoes that needed finishing from the fridge. It was a perfect meal.

This is a courgette version. There’s no grilling and the sauce is made with fresh tomatoes instead of canned. It’s quicker, lighter in a way and it is one of my favourite things to eat primarily because it is such a joy to cook. I love the satisfaction of filling a red tomatoey canvas with uniform(ish) rolls of ricotta stuffed veg. It’s finished off with a shower of parmesan before a blast in the oven until the top crisps and the tomato bubbles.

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THE RECIPE

COURGETTE BASIL AND RICOTTA INVOLTINI

serves 2-4

For the tomato sauce