Cheesy White Pesto Zucchini Involtini. Because let’s be honest … nothing says I love you more than cheesy filled zucchini ribbons smothered in creamy pink alfredo sauce. Turn up the Frank Ocean playlist, pop a bottle of your favorite wine, and get ready to take date night in to a whole new level!!!
date night in just got a whole lot better
My wife and I have never been ones to celebrate Valentine’s Day. All of our favorite restaurants and bars are extremely crowded, it seems as if everything is overpriced (I tried buying my weekly bouquet of flowers from the grocery store this week and they were DOUBLE the price!), and I honestly just think it’s a silly consumerist holiday designed to make people feel bad. That being said, any excuse to stay in with a bottle or two of wine and some good food is as good as any. With a little bit of effort and a whole lot of love, this Cheesy White Pesto Zucchini Involtini with Pink Alfredo Sauce will make the perfect dish for your date night. Forget the roses because nothing says ‘I love you’ better than a home-cooked meal. Grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’!
what is involtini?
There are some dishes that are more complicated to prepare than they’re worth … and there are other dishes that look complicated without very much hassle at all. Involtini is definitely the latter. While involtini looks impressive and fancy, it can be prepared with little effort. That’s what I call winning!
So, what exactly is involtini? In a nutshell, involtini is an Italian term for small bites of food consisting of an outer layer wrapped around a filling. In this case, our outer layer is thinly sliced zucchini wrapped around a cheesy white pesto filling. While this recipe is not necessarily authentic Italian cuisine, we are using a lot of ingredients used in Italian cooking.
how do you make involtini?
Just a few simple steps is all it takes to make the best Cheesy White Pesto Zucchini Involtini with Pink Alfredo Sauce:
- The sauce. Start by making the cashew alfredo. To do so, simply blend the cashews with nutritional yeast, fresh garlic, vegetable broth, salt and pepper until it is smooth. Set aside. In a large pot, heat your shallots, garlic, and vegan italian sausage on medium high heat. Crumble the sausage with the back of a wooden spoon and cook until it’s browned and crumbly. Add in prepared alfredo sauce and 1 cup of marinara sauce. Cover and simmer while you prepare the filling and zucchini strips.
- The filling. The filling is basically a tofu ricotta and white pesto blended together. It’s creamy, surprisingly cheesy, and so delicious! While the sauce is simmering, prepare the filling in the same blender that you made the cashew alfredo sauce and set it aside!
- Zuchini Ribbons. Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini into 1/4″ thick strips. You should have about 40 zucchini strips. Lay them flat and season them with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Rolling time! After the sauce has been simmering, the filling has been made, and the zucchini cut into strips, it’s time to get rolling! Using two zucchini strips laid side by side, spoon about one tablespoon of the filling onto the zucchini. Roll the slices tightly to secure the filling and place into a prepared baking dish seam side down.
- Bake. Pour the remaining sauce over the involtini and sprinkle with pieces of vegan mozzarella. Transfer the dish into the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.
craving more date night in recipes? check these out!
-
Cheesy Vegan Pesto Stuffed Shells
-
Chorizo, Spinach, and Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
-
Vegan Scallops with Truffle Pea Puree and Bac’n Bits
-
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites
was date night in a success?
If you make my Cheesy White Pesto Zucchini Involtini with Pink Alfredo Sauce for Valentine’s Day – or just a night in with your loved one or your best girl friends, I would love to hear about it! Snap a photo, post it to Instragram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing all your recreations of my recipes! Til next time, friends!
XOXO
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 1 cup prepared vegetable broth
- 6 TBS nutritional yeast
- 12 cloves garlic, divided
- 2 tsp Kosher salt, divided + more to taste
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper, divided + more to taste
- 6 oz extra firm tofu, drained of excess liquid and crumbled
- ½ cup + 2 TBS olive oil, divided
- ½ cup pine nuts
- Zest of one lemon + the juice
- 1 tsp each - garlic powder, onion powder, and italian seasoning
- ½ LB vegan italian sausage, such as Field Roast Italian Sausage
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup prepared marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
- 3 large zucchini or yellow squash
- 4 oz vegan mozzarella
- Fresh basil, for serving
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or a shallow baking dish of similar size.
- Add cashews, prepared vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, 6 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ tsp pepper to a blender. Pulse until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Set Aside.
- In the same blender, add tofu, ½ cup olive oil, pine nuts, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.
- In a large pot on medium high heat, add the remaining olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add vegan sausage, shallot, and garlic. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crumble the sausage. Cook until the sausage is browned and crumbly, about 6-8 minutes. Add prepared cashew alfredo sauce and marinara sauce, stirring to combine. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Meanwhile while the sauce is simmering, using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini into ¼" thick strips and lay them flat. You should have around 40 strips. Sprinkle the zucchini ribbons with salt and pepper.
- To assemble, ladle about ¾ of the pink alfredo sauce into the bottom of the lightly oiled baking dish. Using two zucchini strips laid side by side, spoon about one tablespoon of the filling onto the zucchini. Roll the slices tightly to secure the filling and place into a prepared baking dish seam side down. Repeat until there are no more zucchini ribbons. Ladle the remaining sauce over the rolled zucchini and top with spoonfuls of vegan mozzarella.
- Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh basil and enjoy!
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