Layered Zucchini Ragu Bake Food

LAYERED ZUCCHINI RAGU BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray two 17x12-inch half-sheet pans with cooking spray. Place zucchini in single layer in pans. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bake 20 minutes or until almost tender. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, pierce potatoes with fork. Place potatoes on microwavable paper towel in microwave oven. Microwave uncovered on High 6 minutes or until partially cooked. Cool 10 minutes. Peel and thinly slice potatoes; set aside.
• In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed.
• In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in rosemary and garlic.
• Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of the meat sauce in baking dish. Top with potato slices. Place half of the zucchini slices over potatoes; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining meat sauce, remaining zucchini and 1/2 cup cheese. Pour white sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.
• Bake uncovered 45 to 55 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

TOMATO ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9x9-inch pan.
• In a large bowl, combine Cheddar, Parmesan, oregano, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Arrange half of the zucchini slices in the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese and herb mixture on top. Arrange half of the tomatoes, and top with another 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in breadcrumbs; cook until they have absorbed the butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.
• Cover loosely with foil, and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until the top is crusty and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

ZUCCHINI PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a large pot boil the zucchini until tender; drain. Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is tender.
• Combine the zucchini, onion and garlic in a 9x12 inch casserole dish, and mix well. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the mixture and stir well. Top with mozzarella cheese (use more or less depending on your preference).
• Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

VEGETABLE RAGU ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• In 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and onion in oil about 5 minutes or until soft. Add bell pepper; cook 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook until spinach is wilted. Stir in pasta sauce, salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.
• Meanwhile, cut zucchini into 1/8-inch slices using knife or mandolin. Sprinkle zucchini with salt; set aside 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked; salting it takes out a lot of moisture. Blot off excess moisture with paper towel.
• Heat gas or charcoal grill. Place zucchini on grill over high heat. Cover grill; cook until lightly charred on both sides. Again, use a paper towel to blot excess moisture.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
• In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg.
• Spread some of the red sauce in bottom of baking dish; layer with enough zucchini to cover. Next, spread with half of the ricotta cheese mixture; top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until ingredients are used up, making sure to top off with sauce and mozzarella. Cover with foil.
• Bake about 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil.

LAYERED ITALIAN ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400ºF.
• Cut zucchini into 1/8-inch-thick lengthwise slices. Place on baking sheet. Bake 10 min. Meanwhile, mix Neufchatel, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan and pepper until well blended.
• Layer half the zucchini in 8-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, overlapping slices as necessary to cover bottom of dish; cover with half each of the Neufchatel cheese mixture and sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining Parmesan.
• Bake 18 to 20 min. or until casserole is heated through and top is lightly browned. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

LAYERED ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• You can use any amounts you like but this is what you do: oil a shallow baking dish and cover the bottom of the dish with alternating slices of zucchini and tomato.
• Mix the olive oil and herbs together and brush this generously over the slices arramged in the baking dish.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle the top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes or so, check so the cheese doesn't burn.

ZUCCHINI RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat an 8-quart saucepan over medium heat with olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, and sweat for 2 minutes. Add the peppers and saute for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and zucchini, and cook down for 10 more minutes. Add the vinegar and simmer for 2 more minutes. Check seasonings and remove from heat. Add the basil and serve.

ROASTED VEGETABLE RAGù

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread mushrooms and next 6 ingredients in single layer on prepared sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
• Add zucchini, 2 cups broth, and tomatoes with juices to vegetables; stir to blend well. Continue to roast until zucchini are tender and juices thicken slightly, stirring occasionally and adding more broth if liquid evaporates too quickly, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer ragù to bowl. Mix basil, parsley, and 1 teaspoon rosemary into ragù. Season with salt and pepper.

LAYERED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH ZUCCHINI BLACK BEAN #RAGU

Steps:

• Cut squash in halve lengthwise; scoop out seeds and discard. Place squash face down in a 9" pie plate filled with about ½" water. The squash will not fit exactly but will overlap on each side. Microwave 8 minutes or until al dente. Let cool. Using a fork, scrape the squash into their natural strands and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with ½-tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 2-ounces crumbled feta cheese. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1-tablespoon oil over medium-low heat. Stir in the carrot and celery. Cover and sauté 3 minutes, stirring once. Add zucchini. Combine well with carrot and celery. Sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper. Sauté covered about 2 minutes. Stir in black beans and red wine. Simmer uncovered until most of red wine has reduced. Pour Ragú sauce into vegetables and beans along with chopped cilantro and optional hot sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce smells fragrant.
• Spray a 2½-quart baking/serving dish with olive oil spray. Layer ½ of the spaghetti squash over the bottom. Pour ½ of the Ragu sauce over the squash. Spread another layer with remaining squash. Add remaining Ragu sauce on top, letting some of the spaghetti squash around the edges peak through. Bake in 350?F oven about 15 minutes until nicely heated through. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with remaining 1-ounce feta cheese and cilantro leaves. Place avocado slices across the top in a decorative pattern. Serve.