Zucchini And Shells Recipes

STUFFED ZUCCHINI SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Trim ends from zucchini and half each length-wise. Scoop out flesh of zucchini; dice. Arrange zucchini shells into a baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion, mushrooms, and garlic in hot oil until the onion is tender, 5 to 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Stir diced zucchini flesh into the onion mixture; cook and stir until hot, about 5 minutes. Spoon zucchini mixture into the shells in the baking dish; top each with 1 tablespoon each feta cheese and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until the zucchini shells are soft, 30 to 40 minutes.

ZUCCHINI AND SHELLS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in zucchini and coat in the olive oil. Pour in tomato sauce and water. Season with oregano, basil, and red pepper. Dissolve sugar in the sauce. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a large bowl, mix sauce and cooked past shells. Top with cheese to serve.

ZUCCHINI & RICOTTA SHELLS

Steps:

• In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
• In a large bowl, toss together pasta, ricotta, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and half of the reserved cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, quarter each zucchini lengthwise. With knife, cut away core; cut on bias into slices.
• In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute zucchini until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to pasta, along with mint, green onion, lemon juice, and enough cooking liquid for desired creaminess, tossing to coat.

ZUCCHINI TACO SHELLS WITH BEEF AND ZUCCHINI-TOMATO SALSA

Steps:

• For the zucchini taco shells: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Grate the zucchini with a box grater or the shredder attachment on a food processor; after doing so, you should have about 4 cups. Place the zucchini in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high, stirring after 3 1/2 minutes, until tender and liquid has collected in the bottom of the bowl, about 7 minutes. Set the zucchini aside until it is cool enough to handle.
• Once cool, use a slotted spoon (or your hands) to transfer it to a kitchen towel or piece of cheesecloth; roll up the cloth and twist and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Squeeze hard to get out all the excess water; this is crucial to getting good taco shells. You should end up with about 2 cups of shredded cooked zucchini.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with cooking oil to help prevent sticking. Add the zucchini, Parmesan, scallions, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and eggs to a medium bowl; stir until blended into a dough. Scoop this mixture into 1/4-cup-size balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hand to flatten each ball into a very thin 5-inch diameter round, about 1/8 inch thick. Bake the shells until they are brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Let them cool and then remove them from the parchment.
• For the zucchini-tomato salsa: Add the tomatoes, basil, mint, salt, zucchini and lime juice to a medium bowl and toss together.
• For the taco filling and fixings: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, shallot, serrano and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook this mixture until the beef is done through and the veggies are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels, ancho chile powder, cumin, 1/4 cup water and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook this mixture for 3 minutes more, adding more water if needed to thin the taco filling out.
• Spread about 1/4 cup of the refried beans onto each zucchini taco shell. Place 1/4 cup of the beef filling onto each, then top with 1 heaping tablespoon of the zucchini tomato salsa and 1 heaping teaspoon of the feta. Fold up and enjoy!

PASTA SHELLS WITH ZUCCHINI & SPINACH

Steps:

• FILLING: Melt butter over medium heat in a large, heavy dutch oven.
• Add onions& garlic; cook until onions are tender& wilted, stirring occasionally.
• PREPARE ZUCCHINI: Wash well, taste a bit of the skin from each& peel only if it tastes bitter.
• Grate& place in a colander in the sink.
• sprinkle with about 2 tsps of salt& let excess liquid drain for 30 minutes.
• Rinse with cold water to remove most of the salt& then toss on a clean tea towel (or paper towels) to dry before cooking.
• Add drained zucchini to dutch oven& cook until any moisture evaporates.
• PREPARE SPINACH: Wash well& trim off tough stems.
• Place leaves, with water from washing still clinging to them, in a large pot.
• Cook for a few minutes or just until leaves have wilted.
• Let cool, then wring dry in a clean tea towel& chop.
• Add spinach to the dutch oven and combine thoroughly.
• Remove from heat& allow the mixture to cool.
• Drain off excess liquid.
• Beat eggs in a medium sized bowl; add ricotta& beat until smooth.
• Add Parmesan and seasonings; mix well.
• Combine with vegetable mixture in the dutch oven, mix thoroughly; set aside.
• SAUCE: Melt butter in large, heavy pot; cook onions& garlic until tender and wilted.
• Add tomatoes, including their liquid, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
• Cook for 30- 45 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
• Purée and test for seasonings.
• Set aside.
• Pasta: Cook shells in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions until"el dente".
• Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
• Using a colander, gently shake shells to drain excess water.
• Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish.
• Spoon some of the filling into each shell& arrange, stuffed side up, in the casserole dish.
• Pour sauce over the shells& sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• (If you can only find small shells, just layer them on the bottom of the casserole dish, cover with a layer of filling, a layer of sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan).
• Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.