Who loves that nuanced taste of ricotta cheese blended with herbs, tomatoes, and garlic? Who doesn’t actually? This recipe for vegan zucchini lasagna rolls delivers on the nuance while providing a more refreshing, more nutrient dense, clean version, that highlights the awesome natural flavors found in some of our favorite herbs and vegetables. These rolls are better suited for a lunch, brunch, or appetizer, but you could also have them for dinner along with some cooked grains, cannellini beans, and-or a green salad. Don’t let the small size fool you. The almond ricotta in these makes them quite rich and energy dense, and one can fill up on just a few. Get ready for a fantastic blend of fresh flavors!
vegan zucchini lasagna rolls with herbed almond ricotta and bruschetta salsa
(scroll down for interactive, printable recipe card,
grocery list and more!) For the Herbed Ricotta
Cheese: 1 cup soaked and peeled almonds 2 tsp. nutritional
yeast 1 tbsp. lemon juice Pinch or two sea salt 1 clove garlic, roughly
chopped 1/3 cup water 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds 3 tbsp. fresh parsley
For the Zucchini Rolls 2 zucchini, sliced
lengthwise (you should have 8-10 long slices of zucchini total) 24-30 baby
spinach leaves, about the same width as the zucchini slices 1/2 cup tomato
sauce 
For the Bruschetta
Salsa: 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small 3 tbsp. extra
virgin olive oil 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 10 leaves fresh basil, julienned
or chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/2 tsp. raw honey Pinch of sea
salt Pinch of fresh cracked pepper NOTE: Trader Joe’s has yummy bruschetta
sauce in a pinch Soak just over a cup of almonds in water for at
least two hours. Meanwhile, to make the bruschetta salsa, gently mix all the
ingredients in a medium bowl, and let sit for a couple hours, alongside the
soaking almonds. After a couple hours (or more) have passed, drain and rinse
the almonds, and remove the skin from the almonds so that you have raw,
soaked almonds without the skin. You can also try to find peeled raw (or
balanced) almonds, but they still need to be soaked for at least two hours.
Place almonds and all the remaining ricotta ingredients, except for the
parsley, into a food processor. Process for several minutes until it turns
into the consistency of ricotta cheese. You will need to pause the processor
a couple times to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula and make sure the
mixture is well blended. Just at the end of processing, add the parsley and
process for another 10 seconds or so until the parsley is well mixed without
being completely pulverized. Preheat a griddle to medium high. Place each
zucchini slice on the griddle and sear, flipping over a few times, until both
sides are browned, and the slices are soft and pliable enough to roll up
without breaking. You should be able to do this without oil, but if you want,
you can lubricate the griddle with a little virgin coconut oil or avocado
oil.
Now preheat the oven to 350°F and make your rolls. While the zucchini is still warm, place each zucchini slice on a flat surface. Spread about a tablespoon (or more) of the cheese over each zucchini slice. Then, put a layer of baby spinach leaves, about 3 leaves per slice. Then, spread about a tablespoon of tomato sauce (more or less) over the spinach leaves. You will have zucchini slices layered with cheese, zucchini, and tomato sauce, in that order. Sprinkle a little sea salt and pepper over the slices if you’d like. Gently roll up each slice. The fillings will push out to the end a little. Just do your best to seal the end and if some spinach is sticking out at the outside end of the roll, gently press it against the roll so it is sealed. Place each roll, open ends up, in a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. You don’t want to incinerate the rolls, just warm them through to the center of each roll. When the rolls are totally warmed through, place them on top of the bruschetta salsa, or topped with the bruschetta salsa, it’s up to you. Enjoy immediately! You can also refrigerate the finished rolls and enjoy as a cold snack any time.
[recipe-video]
Vegan Zucchini Lasagna Rolls with Herbed Almond Ricotta and Bruschetta Salsa
Ingredients
- For the Herbed Ricotta Cheese:
- 1 cup almonds soaked and peeled
- 2 tsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Pinch sea salt
- 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
- 3 tbsp. fresh parsley
- For the Zucchini Rolls
- 2 each zucchini sliced lengthwise- you should have 8-10 slices of zucchini total.
- 30 each baby spinach leaves about the same width as the zucchini slices
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- For the Bruschetta Salsa:
- 4 each Roma tomatoes seeded and diced small
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 10 each fresh basil julienned or chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/2 tsp. raw honey
- 1 Pinch sea salt
- 1 Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Soak just over a cup of almonds in water for at least two hours.
- Meanwhile, to make the bruschetta salsa, gently mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl, and let sit for a couple hours, alongside the soaking almonds.
- After a couple hours (or more) have passed, drain and rinse the almonds, and remove the skin from the almonds so that you have raw, soaked almonds without the skin. You can also try to find peeled raw (or balanced) almonds, but they still need to be soaked for at least two hours.
- Place almonds and all the remaining ricotta ingredients, except for the parsley, into a food processor. Process for several minutes until it turns into the consistency of ricotta cheese. You will need to pause the processor a couple times to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula and make sure the mixture is well blended. Just at the end of processing, add the parsley and process for another 10 seconds or so until the parsley is well mixed without being completely pulverized.
- Preheat a griddle to medium high. Place each zucchini slice on the griddle and sear, flipping over a few times, until both sides are browned, and the slices are soft and pliable enough to roll up without breaking. You should be able to do this without oil, but if you want, you can lubricate the griddle with a little virgin coconut oil or avocado oil.
- Now preheat the oven to 350°F and make your rolls. While the zucchini is still warm, place each zucchini slice on a flat surface. Spread about a tablespoon (or more) of the cheese over each zucchini slice. Then, put a layer of baby spinach leaves, about 3 leaves per slice. Then, spread about a tablespoon of tomato sauce (more or less) over the spinach leaves. You will have zucchini slices layered with cheese, zucchini, and tomato sauce, in that order.
- Sprinkle a little sea salt and pepper over the slices if you'd like. Gently roll up each slice. The fillings will push out to the end a little. Just do your best to seal the end and if some spinach is sticking out at the outside end of the roll, gently press it against the roll so it is sealed.
- Place each roll, open ends up, in a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. You don't want to incinerate the rolls, just warm them through to the center of each roll. When the rolls are totally warmed through, place them on top of the bruschetta salsa, or topped with the bruschetta salsa, it's up to you. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
Nutrition