Spicy Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Ravioli

Most of our Instagram crowd has some form of fabricated food allergy to green vegetables, so we knew we were taking a risk by introducing “any green vegetable” as the essential ingredient for week 3 of our Cabin Fever Cook-Off. In defiance of our expectations, all of the meat loving folks who follow us seemed to put aside their fear of plant based foods and invent some incredible culinary concoctions using a variety of veggies, including the Spicy Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Ravioli from our week 3 winner @roguesmokebbq.

This recipe was way easier and faster to put together than it sounds and the results are incredible. We highly recommend you give this dish a try.

Follow @roguesmokebbq and @stargazercastiron on Instagram and check the recipes on stargazercastiron.com for more great cast iron skillet recipes.

THE INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 oz) package of hot Italian sausage, ground
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 zucchinis
• 1 (15 oz) container of ricotta cheese
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 (16 oz) bag of shredded mozzarella cheese 
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 (24 oz) jar of your favorite red sauce

THE STEPS

1. Preheat your cast iron skillet on low for 5-10 minutes before turning the heat up to medium. Add half of the olive oil and the ground sausage to your hot skillet. Continuously chop the sausage into small pieces while cooking. Cook the sausage thoroughly until browned and cooked through (about 12 minutes). While your sausage is browning, slice three zucchini’s into long lasagna shaped noodles using a peeler, mandolin or sharp knife.
2. Remove the browned sausage from the skillet and place it into a large mixing bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese to the bowl. Mix the ingredients in the bowl using a sturdy mixing spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined. 
3. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Add the remaining olive oil to your skillet. Using two of your zucchini noodles stacked to create a plus sign shape, spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the sausage filling mixture onto the center of the plus sign. Fold the two arms of the bottom zucchini noodle up over the top of the filling mixture. Fold the two arms of the top zucchini noodle up over the top of the filling mixture to finish forming your zucchini ravioli. Gently place the zucchini ravioli upside down in your well oiled skillet. Repeat this process until you’ve used up your ingredients or the skillet is full.
4. Pour the jar of red sauce evenly over the ravioli in your skillet. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Place the skillet in the preheated oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. 
5. Using potholders or a glove, carefully remove the skillet from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes prior to serving.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Serves: 3-6