Easy Weeknight Dinner | Sausage and Grilled Pesto Zucchini {Roll Ups}

This meal of sausage and grilled pesto zucchini is an easy winner for any busy night. When you are eating clean or on a Whole30 one of the more tedious things is the constant cooking. It is nice to have a few recipes on hand that you can put together quickly and with a low amount of effort.

Sausage can really be a life saver in these instances as it is fairly easy to find compliant sausage free from sugar and unwanted additives. There may not be a huge amount of options but they do exist!

For this recipe I used Bilinski’s Mild Italian with Bell Peppers. If you are used to the chicken and apple sausages from Applegate (they seem to be the most common) this is not as sweet. The more savory flavors pair really nicely with the sweeter flavors of the zucchini, particularly once it is grilled.

The zucchini will fit in your pan better as spears. So if you are tight on space you may prefer to cut them in a wedge shape. You do this by, again, snipping off the ends and discarding them. Next, halve them lengthwise. Then, laying them cut side down, halve them lengthwise again. Finally, slice each quarter on a 45 degree angle toward your center cut to make a wedge. However, I prefer the long cuts as you can evenly cook and spread the pesto on them. If you are going to turn these into appetizers by rolling sausage in them you will need to cut and cook them as shown.

Sausage and Grilled Pesto Zucchini {Roll Ups}

Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

Sausage and grilled pesto zucchini is an easy winner for any busy night or it can be modified into an easy appetizer.

Ingredients

• 2 zucchinis

• 4 Italian sausages

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

• Salt & Pepper, to taste

• ¼ tsp. garlic powder

• Pesto

• ½ cup walnuts

• 1 cup fresh basil

• ⅓ cup olive oil

• juice of 1 lemon

• 1 garlic clove

• Special Supplies

• Cast Iron Skillet or Griddle

• Food Processor

Directions

• Heat a grill or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
• Prepare the zucchinis. Remove the ends, slice ¼ inch thick lengthwise. Place sliced zucchini in a bowl or shallow dish. Baste with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on each side until well coated.
• Cook sausages and zucchini in skillet or on the grill.  Turning or flipping as needed. About 4-5 minutes per side.
• While the zucchini and sausages are cooking, make the pesto. Put walnuts, garlic clove, and basil in a food processor. Mix and then drizzle in the 1/3 cup of olive oil, while the food processor is still running. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper, to taste.
• Once your zucchini are cooked through and sausage are completely cooked through, top the zucchini with pesto and enjoy!
• Optional Appetizer Instructions
• To make these into an appetizer allow the zucchini to become cool the touch. Then spread pesto down the center of the zucchini strip. Cut sausage into one inch lengths. Place the sausage on the zucchini and roll them up.
• Use a toothpick to secure.