Cheesy Baked Zucchini Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

• Zucchini

  Summer squash, includes skin, raw

  6 medium or 1.18kg

• Salt

  Table

  1 tbsp or 18g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Italian sausage

  Pork, raw

  8 oz or 227g

• Onions

  Raw

  1 ½ cup, chopped or 240g

• Garlic

  Raw

  3 cloves, minced or 9g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice

  1 ¾ cup or 420g

• Basil

  Fresh

  ½ cup leaves, whole or 12g

• Ricotta cheese

  Part skim milk

  ¾ cup or 186g

• Mozzarella cheese

  Part skim milk

  2 cup, shredded or 224g

• Parmesan cheese

  Shredded

  ½ cup or 40g

Directions

1. Using a spiralizer, create zucchini noodles (zoodles) from the zucchini. You should have about 8 cups of noodles. Alternatively, slice the zucchini very thin. Place in a colander over a bowl, snipping the noodles to prevent tangling. Toss with salt and let drain while preparing the sauce.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Break up the Italian sausage into small clumps and cook until just cooked through and lightly browned. Remove to a bowl, leaving 1 Tbsp of rendered fat in the pan.
3. In the same pan, add chopped onion and cook until softened and lightly colored, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add canned crushed tomatoes and cooked sausage, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 to 6 more minutes.
4. Stir in thinly sliced basil and adjust salt to taste.
5. Using a clean dish towel or paper towels, squeeze excess moisture from the zucchini noodles.
6. Add the zucchini noodles to the pot with the tomato sausage sauce and gently stir to coat. Transfer to an oiled 8x13 casserole dish and spread evenly.
7. Arrange ricotta in clumps over the casserole, pressing slightly into the noodles. Mix mozzarella and Parmesan cheese together and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes until the top is lightly browned and bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.