I generally am in the “use whipping cream and butter” camp when it comes to cooking. That’s great for weekend recipes. However, we all need some recipes to make
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion – chopped
2 cloves garlic – chopped
1 pound Italian turkey sausage
1 jar – 24 ounces of a very nice marinara (or make your own if you’re feeling ambitious)
1/4 cup red wine
15 ounces ricotta cheese
12 ounces frozen spinach (drained very well)
1 small jar (6 ounces) pesto
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan (reserve 1/4 cup for topping)
3 small or 2 medium zucchinis – sliced thin
1 pound mozzarella (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent, reserve. Add Italian turkey sausage to oil, chopping up and browning. Once brown, add the jar of nice marinara and use the wine to swish out the jar into the pot. Add garlic and onion back into pot.
Mix ricotta, spinach (make sure you squeeze the liquid out of it), pesto, egg, and parmesan to a large bowl and mix.
Slice zucchini thin (1/8th to 1/4 inch). I suggest either using a mandolin or slicing the zucchinis in half and using a veggie peeler from the middle to make nice thin slices. Blot and dry the zucchini strips as much as possible.
Layer zucchini, ricotta mixture, sauce, and mozzarella in a 9 x 13 baking pan.
Bake covered in foil for 1 hour – remove foil and sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan on top and bake, uncovered for an additional 30 – 35 minutes until top cheese is brown and bubbly.
Enjoy!
