Zoodles
Mandolin (to make thin slices of Zucchini)
9 X 13 baking pan
3-4 zucchini depending on the size
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 jar red sauce
1 jar Alfredo sauce
15 oz container of ricotta
2ish table spoons of garlic
2ish table spoons of Italian seasoning
1 package of mozzarella cheese (or provolone or both or all of the cheese you can find)
Steps
1. Cut ends off of the zucchini & slice thinly. Discard any pieces that have too much skin. Place slices in a colander (what the heck is a colander?) & sprinkle salt on them. This draws out water (how in the world do people know these things?) After 5 minutes, take them out & use a paper towel to dry them off.
2. Brown ground beef in skillet over medium heat. You’ll be tempted to just add in taco seasoning & screw this whole recipe over for some home made tacos. & we can’t blame you because tacos are life. But try your hardest to stay focused…
Once the meat is browned, add two table spoons of garlic, two table spoons of Italian seasoning, and about 1/3 of the jar of red sauce. Mix together; let cool.
3. Take 9X13 baking pan & put a small layer of red sauce on the bottom (unless you enjoy burnt zucchini…then…don’t, but that’s weird). Mix the rest of the red sauce & 1/2 of the Alfredo Sauce together (=creamy red sauce).
4. Place a layer of zoodles on the red sauce. Then place spoonfuls of ricotta cheese. Why spoonfuls one might ask? “It makes it easier to spread, duh.” Oh, right. Should have known. After spreading the cheese, add some of the creamy red sauce. Add one more layer of zoodles. Add cooled down meat mixture. How cooled down does it need to be? Well, apparently that is a dumb question. Sorry kids. Whoever said there is no such thing as dumb questions was wrong. Dumb questions do exist.
Okay so “cooled”ish meat. Check. After that, add one more layer of the zoodles & then the rest of the creamy red sauce. Cover everything with all the mozzarella cheese you can find. & don’t get that low-fat-reduced-milk-organic-only crap. Go big or go home.
5. Place aluminum foil over the top and bake at 400* for 35-45 minutes (long enough for bubbles to be forming in the middle). Then pull the aluminum foil off & finish baking for 5-10 minutes, or until the “desired brownness” (you can quote him on that) on the top.
6. It is VERY important to let it cool for about 20-30 minutes… First reason = it is very watery & soupy, so the cooling process helps pull the moisture back in. But second reason, & more importantly, you won’t burn the shit out of your mouth. & I mean, the. shit. Happens every time…
Also, make sure to use a sharp knife to cut the pieces of zucchini so you don’t start pulling pieces from all over. & WARNING: do not test out how sharp your knife is by testing it on your thumb. It’s probably sharp enough, & yes, that’s a story for another time…
ANYWAYS, hope you enjoy!
Looks so yummy!
I love all things zucchini. This recipe just has my mouth watering and I’m not even hungry!
I have made lasagna with zoodles before, but I didn’t know the tip about the salt or letting it sit. It was pretty watery when I made it with raw zucchini, so I tried frying them with a little oil the second time I made it and it helped. Excited to try this version!