I’ve also given up on summer dishes and reluctantly succumbed to the arrival of autumn! So no more salads, no matter how tempting, and let’s focus on warmer dishes! Here comes the rösti, or rather, the fake rösti!!! For those who are still unfamiliar with it, it’s a typically Swiss dish, also popular in German cuisine, mostly made with grated and pan-fried potatoes. The peculiarity is that they are cooked until they form a nice and crispy crust. In Switzerland, being considered a national dish, it is mostly eaten for breakfast. In other Germanic countries, however, it is a delicious vegetarian side dish, quite hearty and suitable for accompanying red meats. The recipe is very simple, from which many other variations were born over time, making it richer and more substantial. As is my custom, I preferred to personalize it a bit, creating a version based on zucchini noodles, ricotta, and pecorino. And clearly baked in the oven! Just press the mixture into a shallow baking pan as if it were an omelet, and you’re done! It is decidedly more digestible and versatile. I then added olives, cherry tomatoes, and turmeric-flavored breadcrumbs on top to simulate the typical fried crust. Well, with pride and satisfaction, I can say that I succeeded! I hope the purists of classic rösti won’t take offense, but I believe my version is still truly valid and worthy of being shared! What do you think?

All “vegetarian” recipes are free of meat and/or fish (N.B. the use of other animal protein-based foods such as eggs and cheese is possible).

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Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Cheap
Rest time: 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 4
Cooking methods: Electric oven
Cuisine: Central European
Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Autumn

Ingredients

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6 white zucchinis
300 g sheep ricotta
200 g cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 oz Sicilian pecorino (grated + 2 tablespoons)
5 black olives
to taste nutmeg
1 1/2 oz breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 tablespoons butter
to taste black pepper
to taste salt

Tools

1 Spiralizer
1 Sieve
1 Bowl
1 Spoon
1 Pan

Preparation

Wash and trim the zucchinis. Using an electric spiralizer or spiral vegetable slicer, create noodle shapes. Shorten them, salt them, and let them rest in a sieve for 30 minutes (fig. 1).
Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the ricotta with the grated pecorino, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of pepper (fig. 2).
Squeeze the zucchini noodles very well and mix them with the ricotta cream (fig. 3).
In a shallow buttered baking pan, place the zucchini noodles with ricotta, flattening them out. Add the halved tomatoes, pitted olives, and adjust the salt. Cover the entire surface with the remaining grated pecorino and the turmeric-flavored breadcrumbs (fig. 4).
Place in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for 25 minutes or until a light crust forms on the surface. Then, remove from the oven.
And voilà…the fake zucchini and ricotta rösti is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!