My best friend lives next door to me and she loves to try out any recipes I'm working on. So I usually set some aside for her. I like how she gives me constructive criticism, whereas my husband and children just give the thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
When I made these Sausage Zucchini Raviolis and took a few to her, she said it was by far her favorite of any of the recipes I've had her try.
Of course removing the use of noodles and using strips of zucchini in it's place is going to drastically reduce the amount of carbohydrates for these. But each little one is packed with flavor. Three cheeses, sausage and herbs topped with a homemade marinara sauce. And of course, you have to throw more cheese on there!
Originally I had tried cooking these in a skillet for a quick, easy and crispy outside. But the little suckers just wouldn't hold together, even with a toothpick stuck inside of them, and they looked a mess. But baking them worked wonderfully and kept them looking pretty. And I like my food looking pretty!!
Sausage Zucchini Ravioli:
Makes 15 ravioli
Filling:
4 oz. Italian sausage
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 TBS freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 medium zucchini
Sauce:
15 oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp onion powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Start by slicing off the top and bottom parts of the zucchinis. Then using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, thinly slice the zucchini horizontally into strips until you have 30 decent sized slices. Set aside.
Brown the sausage in a skillet. Mix the sausage with the remaining filling ingredients.
To assemble the ravioli, lay one strip of zucchini vertically. Lay a second strip horizontally. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center where the zucchini cross. Starting with one of the vertical slices, fold one end into the center, then one of the horizontal ends, the vertical and ending with the last horizontal until you have a nice zucchini package. Lay seam-side-down onto a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. You can insert a toothpick into the center of the ravioli if you feel like they need to be more secure.
When all of the ravioli are assembled, spray the tops with the olive oil cooking spray and bake them for 25 minutes, or until the zucchinis are tender.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic until fragrant. Add the tomato sauce and the seasonings and let it heat through.
When the ravioli is done, top with the marinara and sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese.
For 3 ravioli (1 serving): 175 calories, 9g fat, 422mg sodium, 12g carbs, 2g fiber, 11g protein
