Zucchini, Leek & Prosciutto Quesadilla

Yes you can do this! I know the word Leek and Prosciutto to a mom of 3 with a crazy insane day might sound a little too extravagant but it doesn’t have to be. A leek is one of those vegetables that is capable of adding the a lot of flavor to a dish without the extra work. Once soaked, they are easily chopped and added to anything your pretty little mind can think of and the power of a leek is born. You have their mild onion like taste and crunchy texture which compliments dishes like pasta, stir-fry and Yes, even casseroles. Now prosciutto on the other hand COULD NOT BE SIMPLER. Repeat after me SIMPLE! Think of it as another piece of deli meat but not a typical deli meat- the star of all- the cream of the crop, the apple of your eye- okay, you get my picture. Think Big, Bold, Smoky, Salty flavor that will just melt in your mouth. If those words don’t prompt you to run to the store and pick up prosciutto then maybe we shouldn’t be friends. What about the word- NO COOK! You eat it as is. Now do you want some?

Since my latest influx of zucchini I have been inspired to cook all things zucchini. Zucchini bread, zucchini pasta, zucchini cookies and now my Zucchini, Leek and Prosciutto Quesadilla. Now that we know the ins and outs of the ingredients for our amazing quesadilla lets put them all together. You have the smoky salty flavor of the prosciutto, the nutty, sweet taste of the zucchini and the mild onion like flavor of the leeks. Add in a little mix of pepper jack cheese and Romano ( I sweat the pair just work) and you have a exquisite delightful over the top sandwich that brings the idea of a quesadilla to a whole new level.

Zucchini, Leek & Prosciutto Quesadilla
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Large zucchini
  • 1 bunch of leeks or ½ bunch of green onions, chopped
  • ¼ lb of thinly prosciutto
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp salt (remember the prosciutto is already salty enough)
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ¾ cup of shredded Pepper Jack cheese
  • ½ cup of shredded Romano cheese
Instructions
  1. Cut the dark green, woody part of the stalk off each leek and discard. You only need to use the white and pale green portions of the leek. Now chopped the white and green reserved portion and place in a large bowl of cold water. Swish the leeks with your hand to remove any sand or dirt embedded in the layers. Rinse, drain and pat dry. You may also substitute green onions for the leeks and simply chop the green onions and set aside.
  2. Next rinse your zucchini and then slice into ½ inch rings. Place zucchini, leeks and garlic in a large saute pan with 2 TBSP of olive oil. Saute until slightly tender, 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  3. Place the zucchini, leeks and cheese in a large bowl. Mix to combine and season with the salt, pepper and paprika. Now its time to assemble our quesadilla. Heat a large cast iron frying pan to medium high heat. Add a small amount of oil and allow it to spread around the bottom of the pan. Take two flour tortilla's or one depending on the size of your pan and place it in the oil. Gently arrange 2 layers of prosciutto on top of the bottom tortilla then a heaping spoonful or two of the veggie/cheese mixture then top with the top tortilla. (I like to assemble my quesadilla's in the pan itself so I don't to worry about any of the filling falling out as I transfer it to the pan.) Repeat the assembly process and cook the quesadilla's, 2 minutes per side on medium to low heat or flip the quesadilla over every 10 seconds or so until your desired crispiness is achieved. Remove from pan and cut into wedges.

 

28 comments

  1. Bonnie

    We love quesadillas for light meals and I have trouble coming up with fillers other than cheeses. This sounds delicious!

    Best,
    Bonnie

  2. kitchen flavours

    This looks good! We love leeks and these quesadillas would be welcomed with lots of smiles!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Hope you have a great and delicious week!

  3. yummychunklet

    Ooh, what a great quesadilla combo!

  4. Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen

    What a great idea and yes I would like some. These would be fantastic for days when I’m too tired to cook.
    Sam

  5. Gerry @ Foodness Gracious

    Wow, so much deliciousness going on here, I want some!!

  6. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

    Oh don’t these look wonderful ! You are fearless!

  7. jackie @ marin mama cooks

    We just love quesadillas! I mean they’re like pizza in the sense that you can throw anything into them and they taste great. I love the flavor combinations girl especially the leek and prosciutto. I don’t cook with leeks often enough and I really should as they have such a unique flavor. Summer is officially on girl! My kids had their last day yesterday and I now officially have an 8th grader and a 3rd grader. Can you believe it? I can’t! I’m excited as they have 96 days off this summer. They don’t go back to school till September 9th. Yippee! I’m going to be one leachy mama this summer. Getting ready to make them some home-made donuts this morning. How I love summer! No plans today but to relax and cook! Have a great day yourself 🙂 xoxo, Jackie

  8. Anna and Liz Recipes

    Now this is my kind of quesadillas ! wonderful and flavorful combination of the three – LOVE that girl!
    YOu inspired me to make these this week. I know my girls will love them – since they love most quesadillas.
    Thanks- have a great day ! Anna

  9. Nami | Just One Cookbook

    My kids love cheesy quesadilla but I never thought of adding zucchini or leeks which my kids enjoy eating! These look really delicious and love that you added prosciutto… I made with it in the past and family loved it. 🙂

  10. Karen (Back Road Journal)

    I love your Italian ingredients wrapped up in a quesadilla…delicious.

  11. Veronica's Kitchen

    My kids love quesadilla, it’s such a simple and fast meal. Great for busy mum and hungry kids!

  12. Malli

    Once again, I absolutely love the combinations you’ve used in the veggie Quesadilla!! Leeks, Zuchinni and cheese. the crisp tops and gooey cheese look stunning together and must be awesome!

  13. Joanne

    Leeks for some reason taste like cabbage to The.Boy so I’m not sure I could sneak these by him…but I’d sure love a bite of this sandwich!

  14. Liz

    Why have I never added prosciutto to my quesadillas? What a fantastic idea!

  15. val

    Your food speaks to me. I could eat about 5 of these!!

  16. Kristy

    You know I’m loving my leeks right now! How glorious to use them in a quesadilla! Guess what I’ll be making. 🙂

  17. Pure Complex

    Jessica honey.. you have done. You have gone and made me hungry at work LOL. I love this Quesadilla.. I am literally, practically drooling right now. Delish!

  18. lena

    jess, i am shy to say that i’ve never tried prosciutto before cos not available at my place here…can we still be friends? LOL! anyway, love quesadillas especially with cheese and your pics looks wonderful!

  19. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com

    Yummers!! Love the idea of spring vegetables grilled into a quesadilla 🙂

  20. daphne

    crispy and flavoursome! I love saltiness from the proscuitto and sweetness from leeks!!!

  21. Asmita

    We love quesadillas and I love the combination of vegetables used here. Light and so healthy!!!

  22. Erica

    Kaylin is OBSESSED with quesadillas right now. I think she could eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner! I’m starting to sneak veggies in them. 🙂 These look amazing

  23. Eva

    I love quesadillas and this one has the flavour combination to be a real winner. The fajita’s look a little thicker than normal, is it a standard fajita or something different?

  24. Bree (Skinny Mommy)

    This looks restaurant quality-yum~!

  25. nancy at good food matters

    Hi there! anything with leeks is tops in my book. zucchini, leeks, and prosciutto make a marvelous combination–one they’d approve of in Rome! great inspiration for that summer squash that will soon overrun the markets.

  26. Roz

    Quesadillas with prosciutto is a perfect Jessica creation: creative, delicious and beautiful for the eyes! I just love this! We love quesadillas because we don’t feel like we’ve overeaten afterwards; so tasty and filling! Good summer food too!

    xoxo
    Roz

  27. Geni

    I need to make this! What a super simple but exquisite meal. Love the veggies and especially the leeks!

  28. Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking

    Okay now this just has my name written all over it!!

Comments are closed.