Grain-Free Fake Ziti

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After seeing an awesome segment on “Rachael”, I wanted to try making a low carb & grain-free Ziti. So I began with her simple recipe and tweaked it a bit.  Full of vitamins, nutrition, & healthy fats, it was an amazing dish to finish out the holidays with a bit of convenience and delicious twist of flavor.

KetoNurses Easy Fake-Ziti Recipe

2-3 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil

5-6 cloves of garlic (1 bulb is fine)

nutmeg, freshly ground (optional)

10-12 oz thawed, drained & chopped spinach (can use 1 lb.)

2 -3 medium-sized zuchinni, sliced thinly

16-24 oz full fat ricotta

16-24 oz grated parmagiano-reggiano

16 oz shredded fresh mozzarella

salt & pepper to taste

Start by turning oven on 350 degrees to preheat, & oil or butter your baking dish.   Heat 2 tbsp. oil in medium skillet over medium heat and stir in garlic.  Add drained spinach and break clumps of spinach up as you stir it into oil/garlic. Stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes to heat thoroughly. Turn off heat.

Fold in the thinly sliced zucchini  & a bit of nutmeg. Salt & pepper to taste.   Fold in the ricotta & parm  & mix well.

Turn out into baking dish and cover with shredded/grated mozzarella. Bake smaller dish (8×8) for about 30 minutes; if using larger quantities, you will need a larger dish, approximately 9×13.  Larger pans will require longer cooking time.  I used the largest quantities & baked my ziti in a 9×13 pan, so baking time was about 45-50 minutes.  It is done when mozzarella begins to appear golden brown. Let stand out of oven for about 15 minutes prior to cutting & serving. It makes a great leftover dish later in the week or works well even as hor d’oeuvres when cut into small squares.

Options:  Brown a pound of fresh pork sausage or hamburger meat and add to mixture prior to baking. I did use ground beef in my version because my husband refused to eat it without some kind of meat.  LOL

This meal has it all! Loads of protein, iron, & vital nutrients for improving health can be found in the ingredients.  In addition, it’s a very filling meal, meaning you can eat smaller portions.  Served with a small green salad, it is a great meal for entertaining or even carrying to a pot-luck dinner.

Rachael recommended a nice white wine for accompanying her Ziti.  I’m not much of a wine chic, so I’ll take her word for it.

This Fake-Ziti is a very flexible base of ingredients & I hope to try a few other twists to it over the next few months!

I have really enjoyed learning to cook with zucchini as noodles in a wide variety of dishes; zuchinni makes a terrific substitute for grain-based noodles & contain significantly more nutrients than any processed noodle manufactured today.  Using “zoodles” as they are called, can also be a great way to get your kids to eat more veggies!

If you try our low carb Ziti, please share photos and let us know how you like it; find & follow our Facebook page – KetoNurses.

 

 

 

NOTICE: This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal health care professional. All viewers of this content are advised to consult their own qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither KetoNurses or the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their medical providers before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

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