Pesto Zucchini Rosettes

Pesto Zucchini Rosettes

I love to serve these rosettes at Fall cocktail parties because they complement Autumn decor so nicely. I’ve served them beside Autumn-styled crudités and even as a side dish for brunch! They also make a gorgeous addition to a Fall wedding or bridal shower too!

I made these in standard-size cupcake tins, but you can also use mini-cupcake tins as well! They become perfectly bite-sized, so don’t be afraid to cut this recipe in half if you want to make them small enough to pop in your mouth. 

Why This Recipe is Special

They’re just so pretty – They look as impressive as they taste! Definitely an appetizer that will turn heads.

They can be made a whole day ahead – Simply bake them, refrigerate and reheat just before serving.

They are vegetarian and can be easily made vegan – Just be sure to use vegetarian pesto if you want to ensure they are truly vegetarian, though. Standard pesto contains parmesan, which is not vegetarian. To see how to make them vegan, take a look at the “A Few Tips” section below.

Ingredient Notes

pesto – I used store-bought pesto, but if you want to make your own, take a look at my recipe for Italian Pesto Turkey Meatballs for a simple pesto recipe.

zucchini – You can use just one color of zucchini, but they’re much prettier with both green and yellow.

white balsamic vinegar – Make sure to use white balsamic instead of brown. They’d taste just a nice, but they won’t look as pretty.

boursin – I used Garlic & Fine Herb, but you can also use their cracked pepper or basil flavors. You can also substitute herbed goat cheese instead, but you may want to combine it with cream cheese to make it more easily spreadable.

puff pastry – Make sure to thoroughly thaw puff pastry for 40 minutes before baking.

How to Make These Zucchini Appetizers – Step by Step

1. Thaw one sheet of puff pastry for 40 minutes. You’ll only be using about ⅓ of a sheet for this recipe.

2. Use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut about a 2”x 2” square of puff pastry. Flatten it a bit with your fingers to make it a 2½ “ x 2½” square.

3. Grease 6 cups of a cupcake tin with a tiny bit of olive oil. Lay 6 puff pastry squares into each, pressing them to the edges on the bottom.

4. Spoon 1 teaspoon of Boursin cheese into each cup, and flatten it down to cover the bottom. 

5. In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon pesto. Add a sprinkle of garlic powder and stir. Set aside.

6. Use an apple peeler to make thin strips of 1 green zucchini, making sure each strip has green edges as best you can. Once you get to the seeds, flip so you can get more strips easily. You’ll want about 12 strips.

7. Strip the yellow zucchini the same way you did the green.

8. Slice each strip in half of both the green and yellow zucchini.

9. Preheat oven to 375 F. (190 C.) On a plate, pour half of the pesto mixture. Dip 2 strips of the green and yellow in the mixture, coating both sides.

10. Lay one strip on top of the other, hold one end (I know it’s a little slippery), then wrap them into a rose. 

11. Place the rose onto the plate, dip another strip into pesto-oil, and wrap it around the rose. Continue, alternating colors until you have a rose that will fit perfectly into the pastry – about 4 strips of each color.

12. Place your rosette into a pastry cup, and press it down gently into the cheese. Repeat the process until 6 cups are filled. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and serve.

A Few Tips

1. To make them vegan:

You can substitute Boursin with a creamy vegan cheese like Tofutti cream cheese, or you can even substitute with refried beans! You’ll also just need to make sure you use a vegan pesto like Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto.

2. To make them bite-size:

Simply use a mini-cupcake tin. The only differences in the recipe will be the size of puff pastry that you cut, and you’ll use only half the cheese in each cup. Cut the puff pastry in 1”x1” pieces and flatten them a bit so they’re not as thick when you press them into the cupcake cups. You’ll also get a dozen tiny ones, instead of 6.

3. To make them more colorful:

You can add strips of carrot to make them even prettier! If you’re lucky to find yellow and purple ones, as well as orange, they’ll look like candy!

Recipes to Pair with These Appetizers

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