Cheesy Zucchini Ribbons

A different take on the “zoodle” we know and love.

Despite my best efforts to “take a break,” I spent the better part of my Thursday planning out my blog/newsletter content for the next two months. I did a solid two days of relaxing and vision casting for the rest of the year…but then I got bored. Classic.

Anyways, so I planned out all of my content—what kind of blog posts and newsletters I was going to write, recipes I was going to cook, the whole shebang. Then, it was time for lunch, and my plans changed. I guess this is where you would say you can’t plan everything.

Spontaneity tends to be my strong suit when throwing together a recipe, and that’s exactly what happened for these delicious cheesy zucchini ribbons. Originally my idea was to toss up some zoodles in my cast-iron skillet with cherry tomatoes and chicken sausage for lunch, but for some reason (okay, I was just being lazy), I was inspired to simply use my peeler to create “ribbons” versus pulling out all of the tools to attach my zoodle tool to my Kitchen Aid.

Then, as I was pulling out my cherry tomatoes and sweet Italian chicken sausage, I saw a half-used container of ricotta cheese that my husband bought for baked ziti the night before. And I thought to myself…cheesy zoodles? Sure, why not!

So of course, I had to document it for you, like almost every other recipe I make up in the kitchen. Because that’s what you’re paying for, right?!

One tip about making zoodles! Whether they are regular zoodles or these zucchini ribbons, it’s important to remember: Do not overcook them! You really only need to cook zoodles in a skillet with some oil for 30 seconds to a minute. I would never go over two minutes or they are going to get too soft and soggy. Trust me, you want them slightly crunchy—they taste way better that way! Here’s my tutorial on how to make zoodles.

Now for the recipe.

Cheesy Zucchini Ribbons

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini, small

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1 sweet Italian chicken sausage, diced

• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese

• 1/2 Tbsp shredded Romano cheese (grated could also work)

• 3 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin

• Salt & fresh cracked pepper

How to make it

1. Rinse your zucchini, then slice the stem of the top. Using a food peeler, peel the zucchini vertically to create “ribbons” that look like pasta. You may have to spin it every so often so you take advantage of the entire zucchini. When it gets too thin to peel, slice it up into thin slices to match the texture of the ribbons.

2. In a cast-iron skillet, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and chicken sausage and cook for 5 minutes. Add a little bit of salt for seasoning.

3. Add in the zucchini ribbons and cook for 30 seconds. Don’t overcook them! (Read this)

4. Add in the ricotta cheese and mix together for less than 30 seconds. Remove from heat into a bowl immediately.

5. Top with the Romano cheese and sprinkle with the sliced basil and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!