The cold zucchini roll is an easy (or rather very easy) and original, fresh, and super versatile idea to bring to the table on the hottest days.
It can be prepared a day in advance and served as an appetizer or as a light main dish.
I suggest it filled with tuna, arugula, and cherry tomatoes, but you can create countless variations according to your taste. You can even replace the zucchini with eggplants and it will always be a success!
Before explaining the procedure with step-by-step photos, here are some other fresh ideas from my recipe archive:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Grill
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Spring, Summer, and Autumn
Ingredients for the COLD ZUCCHINI ROLL
- 1.3 lbs light zucchini
- 10.6 oz tuna in oil (about 5 cans)
- 3 tbsps spreadable cheese
- to taste cherry tomatoes (about 15-20)
- 1.4 oz arugula (about)
- to taste sliced almonds (or other nuts as desired)
- to taste mayonnaise (optional)
- to taste salt
Tools for making the COLD ZUCCHINI ROLL
- Grill Pan for grilling the zucchini
- Mandoline
- Food Wrap
Steps for making the COLD ZUCCHINI ROLL
Take your non-stick grill pan, heat it very well and start to grill the zucchini.
Once grilled, lay the zucchini on paper towels to remove any residual moisture.
Note: In the ingredients list, I recommended light zucchini, and I confirm that here; if you can, use them instead of dark ones because they naturally contain less water and are more suitable for this recipe.
While waiting for the zucchini to cool, prepare the filling: in a bowl, add the well-drained tuna, the spreadable cheese (use the amount to your liking, I use about three tablespoons), and for an extra touch of flavor, about half a tablespoon of mayonnaise.
Mix with a fork until you achieve a homogeneous cream and set aside.
Once the zucchini are cool, place three sheets of food-grade plastic wrap on your work surface; make sure there is a free part of wrap left at the sides of the roll, so you can create a ‘candy’ shape.
Arrange the zucchini slightly overlapping each other. Keep in mind that you should preferably create three rows of zucchini (see PHOTO below) if the zucchini you have are medium-small; you can opt for two rows if the zucchini you have are longer. Otherwise, it would be difficult to roll well.
You can now proceed with filling: evenly spread all the tuna cream over the zucchini and give a first ‘sprinkle’ of sliced almonds.
Proceed with the cherry tomatoes, previously washed, cut into 4-6 parts depending on their size, and lightly salted; distribute them with a spoon, making sure to remove the water from the tomatoes that may have accumulated in the bowl.
Finally, distribute the arugula, a pinch of salt to season it, more sliced almonds (or your preferred nuts), and you can proceed with closing the roll.
Roll up using the plastic wrap to help, trying to make the roll tight and gradually lifting the wrap, which obviously should never remain inside the roll.
Finish the roll, close the plastic wrap at the ends to create a ‘candy’ shape, and place it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving.
If you want to speed up the resting time, you can also place your roll in the freezer, just make sure not to leave it for more than half an hour, otherwise, you risk ruining the final result.
And here is your COLD ZUCCHINI ROLL, super fresh, scenic, and truly delicious.
Get creative and invent many other versions by varying the filling to your liking!
Storage and Variations
You can vary the filling as you like; here are some suggestions: salmon (smoked or fresh) or cooked ham instead of tuna, walnuts or cashews instead of almonds, Taggiasca olives added or replacing the cherry tomatoes, lamb’s lettuce instead of arugula.
In addition to varying the filling, you can also use grilled eggplant instead of zucchini.
The cold zucchini roll keeps for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I substitute for the tuna?
You can substitute tuna with, for example, smoked or fresh salmon, cooked or raw ham.
What can I substitute for the arugula?
You can substitute arugula with, for example, lamb’s lettuce, iceberg lettuce, endive, mixed greens.
Is it possible to create a vegetarian version of this cold zucchini roll?
Of course; simply omit the tuna and use more of the vegetable ingredients. You can add more cherry tomatoes, add Taggiasca olives, and besides spreading the cheese, you can also add mozzarella or another cheese cut into cubes.
