Ricotta filled zucchini flowers
Why I Love This Recipe
Zucchini flowers are rich in Vitamin A, and have diuretic and refreshing properties.
100 g of zucchini flowers have only 12 calories, of course, if cooked without adding fats, steamed, or added to salads and pasta dishes.
This preparation: 180 calories per serving
Ingredients You'll Need
12 zucchini flowers
2 zucchini
250 g ricotta
50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
3 tomatoes
1 clove garlic
marjoram and basil leaves
salt, pepper
Extravirgin olive oil
(for home made Béchamel sauce)
50 g flour
500 ml low fat milk
30 g butter
20 g grated Parmigiano
Directions
Here's the recipe for Béchamel, although I used store bought one.
Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and toast it for 2 minutes. Pour in cold milk whisking. Cook for 7-8 minutes stirring continuously. In the end add grated Parmigiano, salt and pepper.
Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut them into thin slices lengthwise (you can use your mandoline), and then into matchsticks.
Warm 1 tblspoon of Extravirgin olive oil in a skillet with garlic, add zucchini and stirfry for a minute of two. Throw the garlic away.
Mix ricotta with grated Parmigiano, add zucchini and minced marjoram leaves. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
Wash and patdry the flowers (remove the pistils, they are bitter)and fill them with the ricotta mixture. Close the flowers making them stick to the filling.
Put some Béchamel sauce on the bottom of a baking dish and place the flowers on one end. I also turned them a couple of times so they would get coated in sauce.
Wash and dice the tomatoes, remove seeds and let them drain a bit. Place the diced tomatoes on the opposite side of the baking dish.
Sprinkle some Parmigiano on top and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 15 minutes. Add basil leaves to the tomatoes before serving
