Zucchini Rollatini with Roasted Butternut Squash Cream Sauce

I?ve read many a blog post recently about having way too much of various items from people?s CSAs. For some, it?s zucchini. For others, yellow squash. For us, it?s been eggplant. Now, I?ve never been a huge fan of eggplant up until recently, but we have received so much of it over the past 2 months that we just couldn?t take it any more. Which is why we were delighted to not only have an eggplant free share this week, but to have received two rather nice looking zucchinis. Lately I?ve been wanting to do a rollatini which is typically made with eggplant but due to my recent aversion to the eggplant I have wanted to make it with zucchini. As soon as I saw these green goddesses in our share box this week, I knew i?d make it. But, for a twist I decided I?d make a cream sauce with butternut squash, one of which we just happened to still have hanging around. For the full recipe and more pictures, keep reading.

The star of this dish was by far the sauce. It was so velvety smooth and bursting with fall flavors that I felt like it was the end of October rather then the beginning of September. The sauce was super easy to make and with a few modifications I think it would actually work really well as just a soup. I am praying that we will get more butternut squashes this fall as this recipe will become a staple in our house!

Butternut Squash Cream Sauce

1 butternut squash

2 tbsp. butter

2 shallots, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. allspice

1/2 cup apple juice

Preheat oven to 400º F. Cut Butternut Squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.

Place on a greased cookie sheet cut side down and roast for  35?45 min depending on the size of your squash. Once squash has cooked, let cool for 10 min.

While Squash is cooling, Preheat a large saucepan with butter. Add shallots, salt & pepper and sauté for 7 minutes until shallots are translucent. Once squash has cooled, pureé in a blender with cream. Add the squash & cream mixture to shallots along with apple juice, allspice, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, simmering for 10 minutes. Makes roughly 3 cups of sauce, depending on the size of your squash.

Zucchini Rollatini

2 medium zucchini cut into 1/8?1/4? slices, patted dry

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 cup ricotta

chopped basil

a pinch of chopped fresh oregano

a pinch of chopped fresh rosemary

a pinch of salt & pepper

3 cups Butternut Squash Cream Sauce (recipe above)

1/4 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Using 3 bowls, set up a dredge station with flour in first bowl, eggs in 2nd bowl and the remaining dredge ingredients in third bowl. Coat zucchini slices one at a time in flour, egg then breadcrumb mixture. Place breaded zucchini slices on a greased cookie sheet (most likely you?ll need two sheets).

Bake slices for 30 min flipping once halfway through. Let cool for 10 min once done cooking. While Zucchini is cooling, mix cheeses, herbs, salt and pepper.

Spread 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a greased 8 x 8 ? glass baking dish. Once zucchini is cooled, form a ball out of the cheese mixture (about 1/3 cup) and place at the end of a zucchini strip. Roll zucchini, enclosing the cheese mixture and place into baking dish. repeat for the rest of the zucchini strips and cheese.

Spread another cup of sauce over the top of the zucchini rolls and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Place back into oven and bake for 30 minutes until cheese on top is melted.

Serve over penne pasta with remaining sauce and garnish with parsley.