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Saucy Grilled Zucchini Parmesan with Ragรบยฎ

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Letโ€™s get Saucesome with Ragรบยฎ Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion Sauce.  Whatโ€™s some of your favorite family times around the dinner table?  Do you have kids helping, your husband offering to be a taste tester, or usually alone in the kitchen until you yell โ€œDinners Readyโ€? finishedMy dinner time family usually consists of my husband, myself, and our little Shih Tzu, Derby.  Of course Derby tries to participate, but this isnโ€™t for him.derby 1I was given the recipe of No Frying Eggplant Parmesan to give it my own spin by Ragรบยฎ.  #AD
 
Hereโ€™s what I did.  Saucy Grilled Zucchini Parmesan
 
โ€œRagรบยฎ Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion Sauce has a delicious taste your whole family will love.โ€ 
 
First, we arenโ€™t big eggplant fans so I chose one of my favorites to go with tomato sauce, zucchini.
 
No fry โ€“ no problem.  Frying is very limited in our household by either roasting or grilling items.  
 
Ragรบยฎ is an item which is a staple in most pantries, including mine, whether you โ€œdoctorโ€ it up a bit, or use it right out of the jar.  With itโ€™s Authentic Italian taste American familyโ€™s love and a variety of great tasting sauces, itโ€™s quick and easy to make your family favorite recipes.
ragu
With Ragรบ recognizing and celebrating everything that makes family mealtime Saucesome, think of the fun you can have with a jar.  
 
Hereโ€™s what you need:
 
5 โ€“ 6 medium size zucchini
2 jars Ragรบยฎ โ€“ flavor of your choice
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
4 โ€“ 5 cloves garlic, chopped
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 โ€“ 4 T fresh herbs, combination of parsley and basil
 
Start with fresh zucchini โ€“ we love shopping at farmerโ€™s markets at this time of year for some of the best selection.
zucchini
Donโ€™t worry about peeling it, just wash well and dry.
 
Cut each end off then slice into about 1/4โ€ณ thick slices, long ways.
 
And, because I was using an oval pan, I then cut these in half to make it easier to fit into pan.
sliced
After they are all sliced and cut in half, place them on a rack which has been placed over a baking tray.  If you donโ€™t have one large enough, you can use 2 as I have done since my large one has disappeared from our recent move.  I placed a dish towel under the tray to catch my flying salt and any moisture.  Salt each side generously with Sea Salt and let stand for about 2 hours.  This will pull the moisture out.  Regular salt can be used as a substitute. 
salted
You will be amazed how much water will come out.  The fresher, the more water.
pan water
Pat the top dry with paper towels then turn your racks onto the dish towel in a single layer.  Roll the towel up to absorb any moisture left.  Let this stand for about 15 minutes, using more paper towels or another dish towel if necessary.  
towel
If you donโ€™t have racks, no problem.  Just use a couple absorbent dish towels.  After 1 hour with the salt, turn them over onto a dry towel, or even paper towels.
 
My favorite way to grill inside is using this cast iron grill pan.  With higher heat, it will make great grill marks but for this dish, I wasnโ€™t worried about the marks so much.
skillet
Using a brush, lightly coat the skillet with olive oil before each batch of zucchini.  Grill for about 2 minutes on each side.  Donโ€™t overcook, as they will continue cooking in the oven.
 
Remove from grill pan and drain on the same baking rack and pan you used for the salting process.
 
grilled
Now itโ€™s time to prepare the Saucesome Sauce.  
 
Using freshly washed mushrooms, give them a rough chop.  I like my veggies in any dish large enough to see what they are.  Plus, for the mushrooms, my husband doesnโ€™t like them, so leaving them in large pieces he can pick them out.
mushrooms
Rough chop your garlic also.  We love garlic so you just about canโ€™t get enough in  a recipe for us.
garlic
If you are making this for kids and they tend to be pickier eaters, adjust your added veggies to suit their taste.  Also, the smaller you chop an item, the less likely they are to see it.
 
Sauteโ€™ garlic in 2 T olive oil over medium heat, just until it softens, f bout 2 minutes.  DO NOT brown or let it burn.  If you do, itโ€™s ruined with a bitter taste.  
 
Remove garlic from pan, and add chopped mushrooms.  These will need to cook for about 5 โ€“ 7 minutes, until all the liquid has cooked out.  
 
Add your 2 jars of Ragรบยฎ and chopped garlic.  Simmer for 10 minutes then add your herbs. If using dry, these will have a more potent flavor than fresh using the same measurement.  
 
An herb garden is a great way to introduce your kids to gardening.  
 
This is my little corner and keeps me supplied with all I need.  Mix up the flavors and colors. 
herbs
I did not add any additional salt to the sauce, since the zucchini was heavily salted.  Black pepper can be added, but I donโ€™t like it, so I donโ€™t use it. 
 
Now letโ€™s put our dish together.
 
Spray your dish with any non-stick coating spray.  This recipe will fit into a 9โ€ณ x 13โ€ณ dish just right.  My oval dish fits into my convection I use to cut down on heating up my kitchen.
 
Spread 1/3 of sauce mixture in bottom of dish
Add single layer of zucchini
layer z
Spread 1/3 each of both cheeses
layer c
Repeat this step again
End with sauce on top
layer top
** The remaining cheese will be added near the end of baking.
 
Cook in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly.  Add the remaining cheese and cook an additional 5 โ€“ 10 minutes depending on how you like your top cheese.  5 minutes for just melted, how I like it, or 10 minutes if you want it to brown.
 
Remove from oven and let stand for 10 โ€“ 15 minutes before serving.  This allows a little cool down and for flavors to set.
 
When serving, add a little extra Parmesan cheese or herbs.
serving
Refrigerate leftovers โ€“ if there are any.
 
Check out Ragรบยฎ on Twitter @RaguSauce and #Saucesome Sauce 
How would you like to win $12,000 toward a Saucesome kitchen makeover, or  a variety of Saucesome prizes, just visit www.RaguSweeps.com.
 
Do you follow Ragรบยฎ on Facebook?  
 
Or Twitter?  @RaguSauce
 
I was provided Ragรบยฎ but the recipe and opinions are all mine.  
 
For steps onto starting an herb garden, hereโ€™s some tips on starting one.
 
 

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Iโ€™ve included affiliate links to Amazon for you to find some products easier.  I may receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you.  It just helps my blog out.

Happy Travels, 

Rosemary

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32 Comments

  1. Yum! Now this is a dish I’m going to have to make! I’ve done chicken parm many times but the substitution of zucchini is amazing! In fact, I think I’ll serve this for dinner tonight!

  2. Can you believe I’ve never eaten Zucchini? still, Ragu has been a staple in my family forever and the way this dish turned out has me ready to go add zucchini to my shopping list.

    1. I have done something similar to this using less sauce and made it more like lasagna because we have a friend who can’t have pasta. But we like the extra sauce and put over spaghetti too. You must try zucchini – grill it, saute with a little olive oil and seasonings. Plus raw is good. Hope you try it.

  3. I’ve never been a huge fan of zucchini, but that may have been because I’ve never had it prepared like this! This looks like a delicious way to add a ton of flavour to it!

  4. Yummy!! We love zucchini and this dish looks delicious! I adore your herb garden. We had a small garden at our last house, but just moved again, and I wanted some more fresh herbs outside. Will be giving this recipe a try!

  5. I would usually associate something the hearty with a fall dish, or maybe even winter. For some reason though this looks like the perfect fit for a day like the one we have had today. It is a great way to get in some veggies, and I know it’s delicious!

  6. I want to come to your house to eat! I love grilled eggplant, adding cheese and rage sounds and looks tasty! Might have to try this!

  7. This looks absolutely delicious and wouldn’t mind giving it a try myself. When I was a kid it was always a fun affair in our house where we would all be in the kitchen cooking or attempting to cook with our parents. Good times

  8. I’m not a fan of zucchinis but that Ragu does look so delicious. It’d be a great alternative to our usual pasta night.

  9. This sounds and looks so good indeed and we totally love zucchini here. Zucchini sounds so good with parmesan and Ragu sauce. I am going to add a side of garlic bread to this dish. Thanks so much for sharing.

  10. Ragu is one of the few sauces that I will immediately grab for when shopping. I eat a lot of pasta (hey it is easy) and generally just throw some Ragu and then some tuna or chicken in. Your recipe sounds really good but for a single person a bit too much prep is needed!!

  11. I’ll have some please! This looks absolutely amazing! I haven’t seen a recipe like this before so thanks very much for sharing!

  12. just like fried green tomatoes. In the fall and wtnier, we add tomatoes and garlic and serve stewed zucchini. Sometimes, I slice raw zucchini and use it instead of cucumbers in salad. One of our old

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