Individual Zanyas (A Tutorial)

When I was a kid, I absolutely hated squash - I wanted absolutely no part of it!! As I've **ahem** grown up, I've come to my senses about this super summer veggie.  So if you find yourself with an abundance of crookneck or zucchini, give this recipe a try.  I will admit that this is a little more "handsy" than what I normally promote, but it is oh so worth it! 

What to Gather:

• 1 Yellow Squash or Zucchini per person (or more if really hungry!)
• Oil (your choice – I’ve been using Safflower lately)
•  S&P
• 1 or 2 pats of butter
•   ¼ to ½ of an onion chopped (I prefer a sweet onion, but red would also be good)
•  1 small container of low fat ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (can use a large container if you're making a bunch)
•  Shredded Parmesan Cheese (about 1/3 cup)
•  2 tbsp. Basil (dried or finely chopped fresh)
• Garlic Powder to taste
• Salt &Pepper to taste
• Your favorite pasta or spaghetti sauce

What To Do 

• Preheat grill (outdoor or indoor) and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
• Wash and thinly slice the squash lengthwise; these will be your noodles.  (I used my mandolin slicer   which makes perfectly uniform slices!)  
• Brush each slice with olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

•  Grill on both sides; you are looking for some nice caramelization and for the squash to be soft.

•  While the squash is grilling, caramelize onions in butter.

 

•  Mix ricotta, parmesan cheese, basil, s&p, garlic powder, and caramelized onions together - do this to your own taste. (Note - if you use cottage cheese, make sure it's drained thoroughly!)
• In a casserole dish, start layering – squash, cheese mixture, squash, cheese mixture, on and on until it’s how you like it – or depending on how many individual stacks you want; just be sure to end up with  squash on top.

• Top with your favorite sauce, and more parmesan cheese.

Place in the oven until heated through and cheese is melted…about 20 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!!