Savory Zucchini Risotto Cake With Stuffed Ham Rolls
When you think of bundt cakes, usually quick, easy, crowd-pleasing desserts come to mind. We love the shape of bundt cakes so much that instead of going the dessert route, we decided to use the pan for a delicious savory dish! We're taking full advantage of the pan's round shape by accenting it with a beautiful grilled zucchini exterior and filling it with layers of rich, creamy risotto. But the most impressive part of this dish is the hidden layer of ham rolls stuffed with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and black olive tapenade, nestled right into the center of the cake! Each slice is a delicious combination of Italian-inspired flavors, all presented in a stunning way! It's a light, yet satisfying meal, perfect any time of year.
Yield: 1
Prep Time: 4 hours
Baking Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty Level: Moderate
You'll Need:
For the zucchini exterior:
- 6–8 zucchinis, thinly sliced
- salt & pepper to taste
For the risotto:
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 3 cups arborio rice
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
- zest of 2 lemons
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- olive oil for sautéing
For the ham rolls:
- 6 slices cooked ham
- ½ cup black olive tapenade (black olives + olive oil + garlic + salt & pepper)
- 5 oz mozzarella pearls
- cherry tomatoes
Here's How:
1. Cut the zucchinis into thin slices, set the outer edges aside, and grill the center slices in a grill pan or griddle. Chop the outer edges of the zucchini into small pieces and sauté them in olive oil until tender.
2. Heat olive oil in a deep pot and sauté the shallots and arborio rice until both are translucent. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with a small amount of vegetable broth, then gradually add in more broth until the arborio rice is creamy and tender. Stir in the grated parmesan, rosemary, lemon zest, egg, salt, and pepper until the parmesan cheese has melted, then remove the risotto from the heat and let it cool completely.
3. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line the bottom of a bundt cake pan with the grilled zucchini slices, making sure they overlap one another slightly. The zucchini slices should be larger than the pan and will hang over the edge.
4. Spoon ½ of the cooked risotto into the bundt cake pan and make a slight divot in the center of the entire layer.
5. For the black olive tapenade, puree black olives, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to make a granular paste. Place 2 slices of cooked ham on a clean work surface, overlapping them slightly. Spread some of the black olive tapenade over the surface of the ham, alternate between placing mozzarella pearls and whole cherry tomatoes lengthwise in a row on top of the tapenade, and roll everything up snugly. Repeat this process 2 more times to make a total of 3 ham rolls.
6. Place the 3 ham rolls on top of the risotto layer in the bundt cake pan.
7. Spoon the sautéed zucchini pieces on top of the ham rolls.
8. Spoon another layer of risotto on top of the zucchini pieces and fold the zucchini slices hanging over the edge of the bundt cake pan towards the center. Transfer the bundt cake pan to the oven and bake at 300°F for 30 minutes.
9. Cut into your savory zucchini risotto cake and enjoy an explosion of Italian flavors!
The textures and flavors really come alive in this bright, versatile dish. This recipe is a great standby meal that looks great and fills you up in the most delicious way!
Get the recipes for the Stuffed Eggplant Terrine, Rainbow Vegetable Tart, Cheesy Fried Eggplant & Risotto Timbale, and Mashed Potato & Ground Beef Casserole featured in the bonus video.