Tag: zucchini
Gluten Free Pasta Bake
I wanted to experiment with gluten free pasta. I actually went shopping for lasagna noodles but couldn’t find the gluten free variety. The store had run out of them, due to their popularity. I instead bought some penne and planned on layering my dish like a lasagna using penne instead lasagna noodles. It turned out delicious!!
- ½ pound gluten free penne (lasagna sheets will be great as well)
Cook 2 minutes short of package instructions. Drain and keep aside making sure
pasta doesn’t stick together.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 yellow squash, chopped
- 2 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 yellow pepper, chopped
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- Salt
Heat a wide saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the squash, zucchini and pepper. Saute on medium heat until the vegetables are golden brown (careful not to overcook them). Add the tomato sauce and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Check for seasonings and keep aside.
Ricotta Filling
- 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup basil
- ½ cup parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
Place the garlic, basil and parsley in a food processor and process till chopped well. Place the ricotta in a medium bowl. Transfer the chopped herbs, salt and egg to the ricotta cheese. Mix well.
Layer like a lasagna starting with the vegetable mixture (divide into 3 parts). Top with half the pasta. Place half of the ricotta filling. Repeat the layering. Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
Pasta Primavera with Rice Pasta
Another gluten free, vegetarian recipe!!
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 10 oz Cremini mushrooms, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 cups homemade or store bought marinara sauce
- ½ pound rice pasta, cooked
- Salt
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Heat a large frying pan with olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and shallots. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and mix well. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Check for seasonings and top with Parmesan cheese.
Sauteed Zucchini with Mustard Seeds and Curry Leaves
- 3 medium zucchini, cut into ½ inch slices
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute for 30 seconds on medium high heat or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the zucchini slices and sauté on high heat 5-6 minutes, till the slices begin to brown. Add the salt, coriander powder and cayenne pepper. Mix well and turn the heat off. Add the lemon juice and check for seasonings before serving.
Pasta Primavera with Wine Sauce
Meatless Monday continues with this delicious pasta primavera I made with a wine sauce. I served it on top of healthy whole wheat spaghetti! It was yum!
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 cup Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into quarters
- 1 cup Shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into 2 inch pieces
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- Salt
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 cup zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3 cups homemade or store brought tomato sauce
- ½ pound whole wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
Heat a large frying pan with the butter and oil. Add the thyme and both the mushrooms. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red pepper, salt and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes and add the zucchini. Saute for a minute and transfer the vegetables to a plate. Deglaze with wine and scrape all the brown bits off and cook the wine down to about half a cup. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the vegetables back and check for seasonings. Serve on top of spaghetti and top with cheese.
Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables
Yummy and healthy dish for Meatless Monday!!
- 2 cups zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, with skin on
- Olive oil
- Salt
Place the vegetables and garlic on to a line cookie sheet. Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some salt. Mix well and roast in a 400 degrees oven for 30 minutes. Take out and let cool. Slide the garlic out of the skins and mash with fork.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups fresh or store bought tomato sauce
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 cup roasted corn
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Salt
- ½ pound pasta of choice, cooked al dente and 1 cup spare pasta water
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, basil and the roasted garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the corn and the roasted vegetables. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cheese and pasta. Mix well and add the spare pasta water if needed. Check for seasonings and add salt.
Pasta with Chicken and Zucchini
I love making roast chicken for many reasons. One reason is the leftovers. I like coming up with something completely different with yesterdays leftovers.
In this case, I had about a cup of shredded chicken from the delicious roast chicken. I also always keep fresh tomato sauce in my fridge all the time. Once a week I buy fresh tomatoes and make a quick fresh sauce. I wanted to add some vegetables and noticed a zucchini in my fridge. I then remembered my daughter’s look every time I serve zucchini- so I decided to peel it, chop it and add it to the mix with some carrots- she noticed the carrots but not the zucchini. The chicken and tomato sauce mixture was delicious. I quickly boiled some pasta and we had a delicious, quick and healthy meal.
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Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
This is a really delicious one…. it is hard to remember it is made without any meat. One of my husband’s favorite pasta dishes is pasta primavera. It is typically made with seasonal vegetables, a delicious marinara sauce and pasta of choice. I have made many different versions of it over the years but I have to say, this one is my favorite.
I roasted some red pepper, squash and zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roasting vegetables brings out the nutty, sweetness which is delicious in this dish. I mixed the veggies in a mixture of pesto and homemade marinara sauce. To make even more different, I tossed the pasta with some chopped fresh mozzarella.
I then roasted the dish in the oven till the cheese became soft and oozy. I served it with some delicious garlic bread and a yummy red wine… and we did not miss the meat…
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