Cheesy courgette involtini
Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Cheesy courgette involtini
If you have a garden full of home-grown courgette plants, try this Italian-style number, which is fresh-tasting and satisfying.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (serving)
Calories
400Kcal
Fat
24gr
Saturates
12gr
Carbs
23gr
Sugars
18gr
Fibre
6gr
Protein
22gr
Salt
1.2gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 garlic bulb
- tsp plus 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 courgettes, about 175g-200g each
- 1 x 250g tub ricotta*
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- 40g drained sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 40g parmesan*, finely grated, plus extra to finish
- zest and juice of lemon
- nutmeg, to grate
- 1 x 125g pack mozzarella* pearls, drained
- ciabatta to serve
- leafy salad, to serve
For the sauce
- 30g fresh basil
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes (or 700g ripe fresh tomatoes, chopped, plus 2 tbsp tomato purée)
- zest of lemon
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Step by step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Lop the top off the garlic bulb to expose the cloves then sit it on a square of kitchen foil, drizzle with teaspoon of oil, and wrap up as a loose parcel. Bake for 25-30 minutes until soft. Open up the foil and leave to cool.
- Trim the base from each courgette then make lengthways cuts 4-5mm apart – leaving the stem attached makes this process easier, but then cut it off to separate the slices. Brush 1 or 2 baking trays with olive oil, add the courgettes and brush with more oil. Season then bake for 15-20 minutes until pliable; the time needed will depend on the thickness, but don’t overcook or they will turn brittle. Remove, then turn the oven up to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
- For the sauce, reserve a few basil leaves for garnish then finely chop the remainder. Add two-thirds of the chopped basil to a large pan with the other sauce ingredients and some seasoning (keep the rest of the chopped basil for the filling) and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes until thickened (fresh tomatoes will need 30 minutes or more to reduce down).
- Meanwhile, for the filling, combine the ricotta, the remaining chopped basil, parsley, sundried tomatoes, parmesan, lemon zest and juice, adding nutmeg and seasoning to taste. Mash the roast garlic flesh to a pulp and add half to the filling.
- Stir the remaining roasted garlic through the tomato sauce then spread out in a large baking dish.
- For the involtini, add a spoonful of filling at the end of each courgette slice and roll up tightly. You can prep to this stage 24 hours ahead, but keep the sauce and involtini separate.
- Add the involtini to the dish, seam down and not too tightly packed. Scatter on the mozzarella pearls, drizzle with olive oil and season.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Garnish with the reserved basil and serve with crusty bread and a leafy salad. *Use vegetarian cheese if required.
