Zucchini Rollups & Turkey Meat Sauce. I don’t know when the zucchini “pasta” trend started, but I love any excuse to put big pillows of ricotta cheese into my pasta sauce. I chose a turkey meat sauce for a lighter alternative. It balances the cheesey stuffed zucchini instead. If you are craving raviolis, but looking for a less heavy option – this recipe is perfect. Have them on their own with the sauce, like a ravioli. Or serve this over noodles! Don’t forget the extra parm & basil.
Turkey Meat Sauce
We start by making the turkey meat sauce. Just like with the Vodka Sauce with Whipped Ricotta – flavor of the base is always important. Cook & brown the onion with salt and olive oil to start. Next, garlic & tomato paste. Cook the ground turkey and add lots of seasonings. I love making the sauce first. The sauce has time to simmer & develop flavor while we prepare the zucchini roll-ups.
So, sauce first. The tomatoes & meat will simmer the entire time we make the zucchini rollups. I like to taste it every few minutes or so. Sometimes they made need a pinch more of salt or even a pinch of sugar, if the tomato sauce is feeling too acidic. With lots of simmering time, the whole peeled tomatoes basically melt into the sauce. Smush them lightly each time you stir.
Zucchini Roll Ups
Stuffing the zucchini is so easy. We just simply use a vegetable peeler to get those thin slices. If you have a question, I have each step laid out here on my Instagram @quartersoulcrisis.
Hold the zucchini flat. While applying some pressure, pull the vegetable peeler toward your body to get lots of zucchini slices. Lightly salt them and set them aside. This will draw out some of the moisture so that it doesn’t get too watery when added to the sauce, while also seasoning the zucchini.
Next, just make the ricotta filling, stuff and roll. Nestle your rolls into the sauce & bake until cooked with slightly wrinkled edges.
When you make these Zucchini Rollups & Turkey Meat Sauce please comment below or message me on Instagram. I love to hear your thoughts, opinions, questions, anything! Any way to connect with you makes me happy.
Turkey Meat Sauce w. Ricotta Zucchini Roll Ups
Equipment
- 1 Large Oven Safe Skillet
Ingredients
Turkey Meat Sauce
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1.5 tbs tomato paste
- 1 tbs dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- salt & pepper
Ricotta Zucchini Roll Ups
- 2 equal sized zucchini
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- fresh basil
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Start Meat Sauce: Heat 1tbs extra virgin olive oil in a large oven safe skillet on medium heat.* Once heated, add onion & pinch salt. Saute until onion softens and begins to brown and become more translucent (5-8 minutes). Add garlic & tomato paste. Stir until fragrant (about a minute).
- Add Ground Turkey: add ground turkey, 1tbs dried oregano, 1tsp each of garlic & onion powder. Stir & cook until turkey is almost completely brown and cooked through. Add entire can san marzano tomatoes & crushed tomatoes. Stir, turn heat to low and let simmer while you make zucchini.
- Peel Zucchini & Preheat Oveni: Preheat oven to 350°. Trim zucchini edges. Lay one zucchini vertically facing you & peel with a vegetable peeler. Peel 1-2 strips until the zucchini can lay flat without rolling. Turn it over, repeat. Finally, with vegetable peeler, peel as many flat strips as possible. Repeat with other zucchini. Lay zucchini strips (you can pile some on top of each other) on a double lined paper towel, sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- Make Zucchini Roll Ups: In a small bowl, add ricotta, about ¼ cup fresh basil or 1tsp dried, ¼ cup grated parmesan, ½ tsp garlic powder & salt & pepper to taste. Pat zucchini strips dry. Lay 2 zucchini strips slightly overlapping. Place a small tablespoon ricotta mixture to one edge of zucchini strips. Roll up and set aside. Repeat until ricotta mixture is gone (you may have some left over) This should make about 12-15 roll ups. Nestle zucchini rollups into meat sauce. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until zucchini is cooked, soft and beginning to get wrinkly on the edges.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with parmesan, basil or red pepper flakes & serve.
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