Zucchini ricotta shells is a classic Italian dish that combines the flavors of zucchini, ricotta cheese, and tomato sauce. This delicious dish is a great way to use up summer zucchini and can be served as a main course or a side dish. The zucchini shells are first hollowed out and then filled with a mixture of ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and seasonings. The shells are then baked in a tomato sauce until the zucchini is tender and the filling is cooked through. Zucchini ricotta shells can be made ahead of time and reheated, making them a great option for busy weeknights.
Let's cook with our recipes!
ZUCCHINI RICOTTA BAKE
I have made this lasagna-like zucchini casserole frequently over the years and shared the recipe with many. Recently, my daughter had some heart trouble, so I adapted the recipe to cut fat and calories. We think this version is just as delicious. -Eleanor Hauserman, Huntsville, Alabama
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h15m
Yield 12 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-in. slices. Place in a basket over 1 in. of boiling water. Cover and steam until just tender, 5-6 minutes. Drain; pat dry. , In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg substitute, 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons Parmesan, parsley, oregano, basil and pepper; set aside. , Spread a third of the spaghetti sauce in a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Cover with half of the zucchini, ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Repeat layers of sauce, zucchini, ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Cover with remaining sauce., Combine remaining crumbs and Parmesan; sprinkle over top. Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover; bake until golden brown, 15 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 150 calories, Fat 5g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 20mg cholesterol, Sodium 513mg sodium, Carbohydrate 14g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 11g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
ZUCCHINI & RICOTTA SHELLS
Creamy pasta shells with zucchini, ricotta cheese, and a hint of lemon, from May 2010 Canadian Living's Mother's Day special.
Provided by Katzen
Categories Low Cholesterol
Time 15m
Yield 4 , 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
- In a large bowl, toss together pasta, ricotta, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and half of the reserved cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, quarter each zucchini lengthwise. With knife, cut away core; cut on bias into slices.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute zucchini until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to pasta, along with mint, green onion, lemon juice, and enough cooking liquid for desired creaminess, tossing to coat.
PASTA SHELLS WITH ZUCCHINI & SPINACH
I've taken this dish to pot lucks & served it at many dinner parties........ always received rave reviews. It can be served as the main dish or as a side dish. Personally, I like it pared with Chicken Parmesan & garlic bread. It requires a LOT of preparation (I've estimated the time) but you will not regret it. It can be made in advance & refrigerated or frozen.
Provided by CountryLady
Categories Pasta Shells
Time 3h
Yield 8-10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- FILLING: Melt butter over medium heat in a large, heavy dutch oven.
- Add onions& garlic; cook until onions are tender& wilted, stirring occasionally.
- PREPARE ZUCCHINI: Wash well, taste a bit of the skin from each& peel only if it tastes bitter.
- Grate& place in a colander in the sink.
- sprinkle with about 2 tsps of salt& let excess liquid drain for 30 minutes.
- Rinse with cold water to remove most of the salt& then toss on a clean tea towel (or paper towels) to dry before cooking.
- Add drained zucchini to dutch oven& cook until any moisture evaporates.
- PREPARE SPINACH: Wash well& trim off tough stems.
- Place leaves, with water from washing still clinging to them, in a large pot.
- Cook for a few minutes or just until leaves have wilted.
- Let cool, then wring dry in a clean tea towel& chop.
- Add spinach to the dutch oven and combine thoroughly.
- Remove from heat& allow the mixture to cool.
- Drain off excess liquid.
- Beat eggs in a medium sized bowl; add ricotta& beat until smooth.
- Add Parmesan and seasonings; mix well.
- Combine with vegetable mixture in the dutch oven, mix thoroughly; set aside.
- SAUCE: Melt butter in large, heavy pot; cook onions& garlic until tender and wilted.
- Add tomatoes, including their liquid, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
- Cook for 30- 45 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
- Purée and test for seasonings.
- Set aside.
- Pasta: Cook shells in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions until"el dente".
- Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
- Using a colander, gently shake shells to drain excess water.
- Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish.
- Spoon some of the filling into each shell& arrange, stuffed side up, in the casserole dish.
- Pour sauce over the shells& sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- (If you can only find small shells, just layer them on the bottom of the casserole dish, cover with a layer of filling, a layer of sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan).
- Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.
ZUCCHINI AND SHELLS
Family favorite to use that beautiful summer zucchini! Very simple recipe that tastes great accompanied by garlic bread! Very good for vegetarians, too.
Provided by FABA1228
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 1h15m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in zucchini and coat in the olive oil. Pour in tomato sauce and water. Season with oregano, basil, and red pepper. Dissolve sugar in the sauce. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- In a large bowl, mix sauce and cooked past shells. Top with cheese to serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 515.2 calories, Carbohydrate 79.3 g, Cholesterol 7.7 mg, Fat 17.2 g, Fiber 5.4 g, Protein 13.3 g, SaturatedFat 3.5 g, Sodium 650.3 mg, Sugar 32 g
BAKED ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH CREAMY RICOTTA
Baked zucchini noodles in a savory sauce with creamy ricotta to top it off!
Provided by mkhurt
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Ground Turkey Recipes
Time 1h
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook and stir until browned, crumbly, and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and diced tomatoes; let simmer until thick, about 10 minutes.
- Squeeze zucchini noodles to get most of the water out. Add to the skillet and stir to combine. Add ricotta cheese in 1-tablespoon dollops around the skillet. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes to set up. Sprinkle with basil and red pepper flakes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 431.2 calories, Carbohydrate 26.9 g, Cholesterol 98.2 mg, Fat 21.9 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Protein 31.2 g, SaturatedFat 6.2 g, Sodium 917.7 mg, Sugar 14.3 g
INDIVIDUAL ZUCCHINI, LEMON, AND RICOTTA GALETTES
Provided by Amelia Saltsman
Categories Cheese Side Bake Picnic Vegetarian High Fiber Mother's Day Bastille Day Dinner Lunch Parmesan Ricotta Lemon Zucchini Shower Bon Appétit Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 6 galettes
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- For crust:
- Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until coarse meal forms. Add 4 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoonful at a time, stirring until dough forms moist clumps, and adding more water by teaspoonfuls as needed if dough is too dry. Form dough into 2 balls; flatten each into disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before rolling out.
- For filling:
- Place zucchini in colander set over large bowl. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let drain 30 minutes. Working in batches, squeeze zucchini in kitchen towel to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini and lemon juice; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until zucchini is tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
- Whisk ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan, egg, lemon peel, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Stir in cooled zucchini mixture.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out 1 dough disk to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 6-inch-diameter plate, cut out 3 dough rounds. Repeat with remaining dough. Place 3 dough rounds on each baking sheet.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Spoon 1/2 cup filling into center of 1 dough round, leaving 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch border. Carefully fold up border, pleating dough edges to create round pastry with about 2 to 21/2 inches of exposed filling in center. Repeat with remaining filling and dough rounds. Brush crusts with melted butter. Drizzle any remaining melted butter over filling in centers. Sprinkle galettes with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel.
- Bake galettes 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake until crust is golden and filling is set and begins to brown, about 25 minutes longer. Run spatula under galettes to loosen. Let rest 5 minutes. do ahead Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
- Serve individual galettes hot or at room temperature.
- A type of sea salt; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.
RICOTTA AND ZUCCHINI CANNELLONI
This simple weeknight dish relies on zucchini ribbons instead of noodles and a zippy ricotta-pea filling for a gluten-free take on the traditional baked pasta.
Provided by Donna Hay
Categories HarperCollins HarperCollins Dinner Small Plates Kid-Friendly Wheat/Gluten-Free Pasta Zucchini Ricotta Bake Spinach Tomato Vegetarian Mozzarella
Yield 4-6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Place the peas in a colander and rinse them under hot running water to thaw. Drain well and place in a big bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, roughly mash the peas. Crack the eggs on top and add the ricotta, spinach, mint, lemon rind, salt and pepper. Mix well with a spatula.
- Place 1 heaped tablespoon of the pea mixture at one end of each slice of zucchini. Roll up the slices to enclose the filling.
- Pour the puree into a 22cm x 30cm (2-litre-capacity) baking dish. Nestle the zucchini rolls into the dish so they fit snugly. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Wear your oven gloves to take the dish from the oven and allow to cool a little, before spooning onto serving plates.
Tips:
- Choose medium-sized zucchini with firm texture and deep green color for best results. Look for ones that are about 6-8 inches long and 2-3 inches in diameter.
- Use a mandoline or sharp knife to slice the zucchini into thin, even strips. This will help them cook evenly and prevent them from becoming soggy.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the zucchini. Cook them in batches if necessary, to ensure they get evenly browned and crispy.
- Season the ricotta filling generously with herbs, spices, and grated Parmesan cheese. This will add flavor and depth to the dish.
- Don't overfill the zucchini shells with the ricotta mixture. Leave some space at the top so the filling doesn't spill out during baking.
- Bake the stuffed zucchini shells until the zucchini is tender and the ricotta filling is golden brown and bubbly.
Conclusion:
Zucchini ricotta shells are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a main course, appetizer, or side dish. They're perfect for summer gatherings, potlucks, and weeknight dinners. With their vibrant colors and delectable flavors, these stuffed zucchini shells are sure to impress your guests and become a family favorite.
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