Zucchini and Ricotta Gratin

Another recipe in my exploration of vegetable and and ricotta gratins. The dried peppers soaked up some of the excess moisture from the zucchini which helped to keep the gratin from being too juicy. Definitely something to add to the zucchini repertoire.

Olive oil
1 oz. Pancetta, chopped
1/4 very large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. zucchini, diced
1 oz. dried roasted sweet peppers, chopped
8 oz. sheep milk ricotta
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup stock
3 eggs
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons fermented pepper flakes
2 oz. Parmesan, grated.
Bread Crumbs
Almond meal (optional)
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a 6-cup oval gratin dish.

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat, add the pancetta and cook until soft. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic and add the zucchini to the pan, cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Stir in the dried peppers and set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk together the ricotta, creme fraiche, stock, and eggs. Stir in the oregano and pepper flakes and then fold in the vegetables.

Pour the vegetable mixture into the gratin dish, evenly distributing the vegetables in the dish, smooth the top. Evenly scatter the grated Parmesan over the top, then the bread crumbs, then the almond meal. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil over the top and bake for 1 hour.


Variation #2
Used 1/2 large red onion.
Added 2 tablespoons Sonora wheat flour to the custard mix.
Added about 1 teaspoon dried Persian mint.
Omitted almond meal from topping.

Ricotta and Dried Tromba D'Albenga Stuffed Prosciutto Rolls

I'm always looking for ways to use my stash of preserved vegetables. This dish uses both a dehydrated veggie and homemade frozen tomato sauce. The grated squash that I used can be used interchangeably with zucchini, Tromba D'Albenga squash is harvested young, firm, and green and used like zucchini. The dried squash does not have to be rehydrated, it will absorb the moisture from both the ricotta (don't drain it, include any whey that might collect in the container) and from the tomato sauce. The dish can be assembled ahead of time and then baked for serving hot from the oven. Go light on the salt in this dish since both the prosciutto and Parmesan are salty to begin with and perhaps your tomato sauce too.

12 ounces sheep milk ricotta
1 ounce dried shredded Tromba D'Albenga squash or zucchini
1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried fermented Aji Amarillo Grande flakes
Freshly grated nutmeg
12 thin slices prosciutto
2 cups prepared tomato sauce
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese
crunchy dried breadcrumbs
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Gently fold together the ricotta, dried squash, Parmesan cheese, pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Use your hands so as not to crush the zucchini if it is very dry. There's no need to salt the filling because the prosciutto and Parmesan are salty enough.

Smear a bit less than 1 1/2 ounces of the ricotta mixture over a slice of prosciutto, no need to be precise, it doesn't have to go all the way to the edges nor does it have to be smoothed out evenly. Then loosely roll the prosciutto starting from a short side, you want a short fat roll rather than a long skinny one. Set aside and prepare the rest of the rolls.

Smear the bottom of a 6 cup oval gratin dish or similar sized baking dish with some of the tomato sauce. Arrange the rolls in the baking dish, pour the rest of the tomato sauce over the rolls, sprinkle more prosciutto over the top, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons or so of breadcrumbs over all and then drizzle some olive oil in a pattern over all.

Bake until heated through and bubbling around the edges, the rolls should have puffed up some, about 45 minutes.

Serves 4, or perhaps 6 or more as an appetizer.