The quarantine has certainly put us to the test, and we are finally getting back on track, albeit slowly and with great effort! The bright side of all this, if you want to find one, is the fact that we have rediscovered the value of the things we already have and the time we had lost! From a stressful life full of commitments and a hectic pace, we suddenly began to live slowly and limitedly. Every day in a perpetual wait and a bundle of varied thoughts, sometimes full of anxiety and fear, others loaded with hope! From a wide paved road, we found ourselves on a bumpy mule track full of obstacles, disoriented and frightened, as if suspended in midair, forgetting even the pleasure of daily life at home and enjoying the little things! The kitchen has helped us rediscover these values, which I hope we will keep within us when all this is over! Each of us has taken time to dedicate to the slow and relaxed preparation of this or that delicacy, giving us precious moments of normality! The dish I propose today is the synthesis of what has been said. It is not a side dish, but rather a main and complete dish, which encapsulates all the calm and patience needed in preparing it as much as the goodness and satisfaction at the moment of tasting it! Many thin rolled zucchini ribbons that contain, like small chests, a red tuna-based stuffing, Salina capers, and fragrant Sicilian lemon peels! All embellished with parsley and fresh mint leaves and a light sprinkling of ginger, curry, and turmeric flavored breadcrumbs to facilitate the final au gratin! You will bring to the table a dish with an unsurpassable flavor worthy of being savored, mouthful after mouthful, in harmony with the moderate pace of this historical moment!
Here below are other delicious recipes that serve as nutritionally complete dishes based on seasonality:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 3 White zucchini
- 7.76 oz tuna in oil (Red (ventresca))
- 1.76 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (+ 3 tablespoons)
- 1.41 oz salted capers
- 1 egg
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 Lemon zest (untreated)
- 3 teaspoons spices (turmeric, smoked paprika, and ginger)
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 8 leaves mint
- 1 bunch parsley
- to taste Extra virgin olive oil
- to taste Salt
- to taste Pepper
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Peeler
- 1 Pan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Lid
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Baking dish
Preparation
Start by trimming and cutting the zucchini. Slice them lengthwise and create thin ribbons using a peeler or mandoline (fig. 1).
Finely chop the scraps with a knife (fig. 2).
In a nonstick pan, brown the garlic with a drizzle of oil and 2 tablespoons of water for 1′. Once it starts to sizzle, add the chopped zucchini and lower the heat, cooking covered for another 3′, adding a little water only if necessary (fig. 3).
Desalt the capers under running water, squeeze them, and add them to the zucchini (fig. 4).
Cook for another 3′. Pepper and adjust salt if necessary. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the well-drained tuna fillets with the egg, the grated Parmesan, and the chopped aromatic herbs (fig. 5).
Mix and add the now warm zucchini mixture (fig. 6).
Finally, complete with the grated lemon zest (fig. 7).
Take 2-3 zucchini ribbons, overlap them on a cutting board, and distribute a bit of this mixture on one end (fig. 8).
Roll gently until you obtain a kind of roll (fig. 9).
Proceed this way until all the ingredients are used up, placing these zucchini rolls vertically on a baking tray lined with parchment paper (fig. 10).
Sprinkle with the remaining grated Parmesan, the spice mix, and the breadcrumbs (fig. 11).
Drizzle with oil and place in a preheated oven at 392°F for 30′, letting it gratin the last 5′ with the grill. Remove from oven and serve warm.
And voilà… the zucchini rolls with red tuna, capers, and lemon zest are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from FeFe’s kitchen!
Storage
👉Once cooled, the zucchini rolls with red tuna, capers, and lemon zest can be stored in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or inside suitable refrigeration containers for up to 3-4 days.
