Ravioli for Two!

 

My garden has produced an abundance of zucchinis that I have scrambled to eat before they start going bad.  To be honest, zucchinis are not my go to fruit (yes, they’re fruit, not vegetable).  I did not know what particularly to cook/bake them with, so I searched online.  Could I bake zucchinis?  How do I make salads using zucchinis?  

I am not the biggest fan of salads, so I decided to make an Italian dish with them.  I know you can make zucchini noodles, but I did not know you could make ravioli from zucchini!  I had to try it for myself. 

The preparation is a bit time consuming.  You must slice the zucchini delicately to make your wraps.  When I first started the process, it was a little difficult, but I got the hang of it. 

I used a cheese slicer to cut my strips.  It is not the best tool to use, but it worked.  I do not have anything else in my kitchen to slice and using a knife seemed too risky.  I did not want to lose any fingers.  After my zucchini was prepped, I moved onto making the filling.  

INGREDIENTS:

•       2 – 3 large zucchinis
•       Ricotta cheese (15 oz)
•       Fresh basil (1/2 a cup)
•       Garlic (2 or 3 cloves)
•       Pasta sauce 
•       Parmesan cheese
•       Mozzarella cheese
•       Salt and pepper 

In a bowl, I mixed 15 oz (one containers worth) of ricotta cheese with freshly cut basil.  I used scissors to cut up the leaves.  It is not ideal, but it saves time. I minced three garlic cloves and added them to my mix, along with half a cup of parmesan cheese.  I added a pinch of salt and pepper and mixed it thoroughly.  

I remembered to take a pic after I
had filled my raviolis! 

I started to assemble my raviolis by layering four slices of zucchini crisscrossed on each other, creating a X.  Then I filled it with a tablespoon of the filling and folded them on top of each other.  I placed my assembled ravioli in my baking dish, which I doused in olive oil, seam down and continued to assemble more raviolis until my dish was full.

 

Once they were lined up perfectly, I doused them in pasta sauce and topped them off with mozzarella cheese.  I didn’t use a measuring cup for this.  I added as much as I wanted of both the cheese and the pasta sauce.  I put them in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Bake until al dente.

 

Serving size for 4. 

I served this dish with naan bread and was impressed by the taste.  Actually, I loved it!!!  I know I am a biased party, but it was bomb!  I never knew that zucchini could be scrumptious. 

 

My boyfriend gave me great reviews.  We even discussed me making this the next time he invites his mother over for dinner.  Due to some health issues, this would be a better option than pasta.  I might make it for my own mother the next time I visit her. 

 

I am still searching for more recipes that are zucchini friendly.  I feel upbeat about creating new dishes with this friendly fruit and make it a staple in my household, so long as my zucchini plants continue to grow these beauties.