Pesto and string cheese rolled in tortillas and baked until golden. Eight roll ups, thirty minutes.
The servings field is blank in the source
It reads “Servings roll ups” with no number.
The ingredients give the answer: eight tortillas, and four string cheeses halved lengthways makes eight pieces. One each, so eight roll ups.
The nutrition is given per roll up at 226 calories, which supports that reading.
Microwave the tortillas before rolling
Thirty seconds under a damp paper towel.
Cold tortillas crack along the fold. The steam from the damp towel makes them pliable enough to roll tightly without splitting.
Stack them and do all eight at once, which is what the method intends.
Do not overdo it. A tortilla microwaved too long goes tough as it cools.
Stay away from the edges with the pesto
Half a tablespoon spread over the lower half of each tortilla.
Pesto is oily, and oil at the edge stops the tortilla sealing to itself. Those roll ups unroll in the oven and the cheese escapes.
A clear border of half an inch is enough.
Seam side down
On the lined baking sheet.
The weight of the roll holds the seam closed while the tortilla crisps and sets. Placed seam up, they open as the cheese melts and expands.
Halve the string cheese lengthways
Four pieces giving eight halves.
Lengthways rather than crossways is what gives you a long thin piece running the length of the roll, so every bite has cheese. Cut crossways you would get short stubs.
String cheese is used rather than shredded because it holds its shape as it melts, staying as a distinct core rather than spreading out and leaking.
Brush with oil, lightly
A tablespoon across eight.
That is a light coating and it is what browns the outside. A dry tortilla in the oven goes pale and leathery rather than golden and crisp.
A pastry brush distributes it better than drizzling.
Thirteen minutes at 400F
Until lightly golden at the edges and the cheese is melted.
Both cues matter. Golden edges tell you the tortilla has crisped; melted cheese tells you the middle is hot.
Longer and the cheese starts leaking out of the ends, which is messy rather than ruinous.
Make the dip while they bake
Mayonnaise, tomato paste and minced garlic stirred together.
It takes two minutes and it is done in the time the roll ups need. Making it first means the raw garlic has longer to mellow into the mayonnaise, which is a slight improvement.
Tomato paste rather than ketchup or passata. It is concentrated, so a tablespoon colours and flavours a quarter cup of mayonnaise without thinning it.
Only half a tablespoon of pesto each
Four tablespoons across eight roll ups.
That is restrained and it is right. Pesto is oily and intensely flavoured, and more would both overwhelm the mozzarella and make sealing harder.
Shop-bought pesto varies enormously in saltiness. Taste yours before deciding whether the finished roll ups need anything else.
Eight inch tortillas specifically
Which is the small size.
A larger tortilla wrapped around one piece of string cheese gives too much bread to filling, and the roll is thick enough that the middle stays doughy in thirteen minutes.
Eight inch is the size that matches one halved string cheese.
Cool just enough to handle
Which the method specifies.
Melted string cheese holds heat and it will burn a mouth straight from the oven. A couple of minutes brings it down without letting the tortilla soften.
Cost per serving
The source prices this at around 59 cents per roll up, which is the point of the recipe. Four ingredients and no fresh produce beyond a clove of garlic for the dip.
Storing
Best fresh, since the tortilla softens as it sits. They reheat reasonably in a hot oven or air fryer for a few minutes; a microwave makes them limp.
Pesto Mozzarella Roll Ups
Description
A four ingredient snack of pesto and mozzarella baked in flour tortillas, with a creamy tomato dip.
Ingredients:
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 400F. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel, then microwave 30 seconds to soften them so they do not crack when rolled.
-
Slice the string cheese in half lengthways, giving eight long pieces. Spread half a tablespoon of pesto over the lower half of each tortilla, staying clear of the edges so the tortilla can still seal. Place one piece of mozzarella on top of each.
-
Fold the sides of the tortilla in over the cheese, then roll up from the bottom until the cheese is fully enclosed.
-
Place the roll ups seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with a light coating of cooking oil.
-
Bake about 13 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges and the cheese has melted.
-
While they bake, stir together the mayonnaise, tomato paste and minced garlic for the dip.
-
Let the roll ups cool just enough to handle, then serve with the dip..
Note
The source servings field is blank, reading 'Servings roll ups'; the ingredients give eight tortillas and four string cheeses halved lengthways, so eight roll ups, which the per-roll-up nutrition supports. Microwave the stacked tortillas 30 seconds under a damp paper towel before rolling, since cold ones crack, but do not overdo it as they go tough on cooling. Keep the pesto away from the edges, since oil there stops the tortilla sealing and the roll opens in the oven. Place them seam side down so the weight holds them shut. Halve the string cheese lengthways for a core running the full length; string cheese holds its shape as it melts where shredded would leak. Brush lightly with oil, which is what browns the outside. Cool a couple of minutes before serving, as melted cheese holds heat.