Recipes

Ravioli & Zucchini Lasagna

This baked pasta dish delivers all the comfort of lasagna without all the mess. By using pre-made ravioli, you skip the hassle of traditional lasagna noodles and time-consuming cheese filling. Plus, with its generous veggies and lean turkey, this dish is packed with nourishing ingredients that really satisfy.

Ingredients

5-6 large zucchini (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
½ pound lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons Armanino Creamy Garlic Sauce
24oz marinara sauce, purchased or homemade
¼ cup water
¼ cup Armanino Basil Pesto
1-1½ lbs Armanino Four Cheese Ravioli (40-48 pieces)
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
¼ cup grated parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Remove the ravioli from the freezer and spread on a sheet pan in a single layer to defrost a bit while you prepare the other recipe components. If the ravioli stick together, carefully separate once partially defrosted.
Trim the ends off the zucchini and discard. Cut lengthwise into even ¼-inch thick slices. You will need enough slices to create two even layers in the baking pan.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and brush lightly with olive oil.
Place the zucchini slices on the prepared pan and brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a good pinch each salt and pepper.
Bake 15 minutes, rotate the pans and bake another 15 minutes until tender and lightly browned; remove and let cool.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high.
Add the onion and a pinch of salt; sauté until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the ground turkey and cook over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes until cooked through, breaking up the turkey into small pieces.
Stir in the creamy garlic sauce, marinara and water.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent scorching until the sauce reduces and thickens.
Once the zucchini has baked, reduce the oven temperature to 375ºF.
Spray a 9×12-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In the prepared baking dish, evenly spread ⅓ of the sauce (about 1 cup), then a layer of the cooked zucchini (trim the pieces as needed to fit), ⅓ of the mozzarella (about ⅔ cup), and an even layer of ravioli (20-24 pieces).
Top with another ⅓ of the sauce (1 cup or so), dot with the pesto and ½ the parmesan (2 tablespoons).
For the final layer: zucchini, ⅓ of the mozzarella (2/3 cup), ravioli, the rest of the sauce and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the pan, oiled side down.
Bake at 375ºF for 35-40 minutes until hot in the center.
Uncover and continue baking 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
Remove from oven and let sit 15 to 20 minutes to let the cheese set and make it easier to cut and serve cleanly. Serve hot with garlic bread and a salad.

Chef’s Tips

The tomato-meat sauce can be made up a day or two ahead and refrigerated and the zucchini can be baked several hours ahead. The finished lasagna can be baked, allowed to cool and then finished in the oven to brown several hours later.
The zucchini is cut into thick strips and cooked first to remove any excess moisture to prevent the finished lasagna from being too loose and watery.
A mandolin is a fine tool to cut even ¼-inch thick slices easily. Adjust to the proper thickness, use even pressure and be sure to use the guard.
While cooking the sauce, you can use a wooden spoon to break up the turkey into small pieces or better yet, use your potato masher. It works wonderfully to break down the meat into small bits.
To get every bit of marinara out of the jar, empty the sauce into your cooking pot, place the ¼ cup water in the jar, screw on the lid and shake. Pour the tomato water into the pot.