May 24, 2018
I’ve officially started my 4th Whole 30, and this round has got me feeling inspired in the kitchen. For the better part of this year I haven’t been as enthusiastic about getting down with cooking. But as I end week 1 of Whole30, I’m feeling a new found energy & I had a blast cooking for you all on Instagram Stories this week. Apparently you all loved it too, because engagement was at an all time high. And I’m already planning next week’s meals.
One hot dish last week: this Paleo Zoodle Baked Ziti using Dairy free Ricotta. Come to find out, nut-based cheeses are a little bit of a gray area on Whole30. Similar to many food with no brakes, dairy can be a pain point for some people. So just do you, boo. If you have some issues you need to resolve with dairy, maybe skip this dish and save it for food freedom. For me, I’ve recognized cheese is not a problem food for me. Well techinically it is, as I’m lactose sensitive but I don’t have the “need for cheese” as some might say. To make this dish dairy free, I’m using Kite Hill’s Ricotta. I went to an event with Kite Hill and learned how they are able to make their almond based cheeses so “real” cheese like. It’s all about the nut! They use a very specific breed of almond & it’s all bout the carb to protein ratio. It’s pretty incredible and just goes to show that quality ingredients make a quality end product. And adding it to this dish was a game changer.
I’ve also never really been a fan of zoodles. They always ended up soggy & highly dissapointing. It wasn’t until I learned to eliminate the step of cooking zoodles, and just giving them a salt bath. You simply just season with salt, toss & allow them to drain in a colander for 15-20 minutes. This process naturally eliminates a good portion of the moisture which then prevents them from draining that moisture into the dish you are making. It’s a game changer that gives zoodles a more “pasta-like” consistency. I use the salt bath cooking method in this dish, and I really think it contributes to it’s greatness! Check out the instructions in the recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 LB Grass Fed Beef/ Turkey or Sausage (Vegetarian SUB: 2 C chopped mushrooms)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 medium zucchini, spiralized
- 2 C chopped spinach
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 24 Oz. Marinara
- 1 8 oz container dairy-free ricotta (Recommended: Kitehill)
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the zoodles in a colander. Season & toss with salt. Let sit/drain for 15-20 minutes.
- In a small bowl: mix the ricotta, 1 egg white & italian seasoning until smooth. Set aside
- In an oven safe skillet. Heat the olive oil overmedium heat. Cook the beef (or mushrooms). About 5 minutes or until no longer raw.
- Add the minced garlic to the pan of beef. Allow to get fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- To the pan, add 3/4 of the marinara + 3/4 of the ricotta mixture. Stir to combine with the meat mixture to create a creamy marinara sauce. Salt & Pepper to taste
- Add your zoodles & 2 C. Chopped spinach to the pan. Toss to combine.
- Even out the zoodle mixture in the pan. Use the remaining marinara to create a layer atop the zoodles. Add dollops of ricotta.
- Place in oven & bake for 15 minutes.
