Okay, I call it a soufflé because it’s so light and fluffy. But it’s not really a soufflé. We’ve added one egg yolk to the ricotta mixture, then folded in one beaten egg white.
This recipe is delicate because the zucchini is cut super thin. I took large firm zucchinis, trimmed the ends, and sliced them with my handy mandolin, lengthwise. The setting was for 3mm, which is less than 1/4”. How are your knife skills? It is possible to cut them thinly by hand, carefully, with a sharp knife. The zucchini takes the place of lasagne noodles.
Finally, I adore sheep’s milk ricotta, and used that with some Parmigiano and mozzarella. But if you’re vegan or dairy-free, I think it would also be delicious using almond ricotta, such as Kite Hill’s, and you could substitute Follow Your Heart’s vegan Parmesan and vegan mozzarella. I don’t know how you’d substitute for the egg, though. You vegans are creative: you could try using Egg Replacer, such as Ener-g brand, a powder that’s mixed with water, and that would help bind the ricotta. Texture might be a little different, though.
Serves
3 large zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
Olive oil for drizzling
12 oz. sheep’s milk ricotta cheese
1/3 c. grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 c. grated mozzarella, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 egg, separated
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
One jar of good quality marinara sauce, about 16-20 oz (we love Rao's)
Preheat oven to 375.
Lay zucchini slices on two half-sheet pans lined with parchment, next to each other but not crowded. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, and brush to cover each slice.
Roast in preheated oven about 10 minutes, then flip over each slice. Return to oven and continue roasting another 10 minutes, or until tender and a little browned. Remove from oven.
While zucchini’s roasting, mix the ricotta with the 1/3 c. Parmesan and the 1 c. mozzarella, the egg yolk, the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Whip the egg white until soft peaks form, and gently fold it into the ricotta mixture.
In a large flat casserole, 10x13x2”, pour a few tablespoons of the marinara sauce and spread it to coat evenly. Lay half of the roasted zucchini slices on bottom of pan, just touching each other.
Spoon the ricotta mixture evenly over the zucchini. Use all of it.
Spoon half the remaining tomato sauce on top of the ricotta.
Lay the remaining zucchini slices on top of the sauce. Spoon the rest of the tomato sauce over the zucchini, then top with a little more grated Parmesan and a little grated mozzarella.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling around edges and cheese just starts to brown.
Slice and serve.
