Fried Halloumi Cheese and Zucchini over Pasta (Carb-Free Option)

Pan fried Halloumi cheese and zucchini disks layered over penne pasta with RAGU traditional homestyle sauce. This easy vegetarian dish can also be made carb-free.

Options, folks! We need lots of food options when it comes to cooking healthy and delicious foods, especially when the whole world changes schedules! Back to school, back from vacation, and back to a routine!

When my kids were young I looked forward to the end of summer and the beginning of the school schedule.  It’s tough to go from staying up late watching movies and hanging out with friends to the routine of getting out of the door by 7:30 a.m. for a full day of classes.

On the other hand, providing structure can also be comforting. The kids know what to expect and where to be. That’s important stuff when the mom-taxi rolls up and they jump in the car after their various after school activities. When Ashley was a teen she was at dance practice or a play rehearsal.  Sam was on the football field, and they were both starving by the time the day was over.

One dish that I can always rely on to satisfy the whole family is pasta!  I love how versatile pasta dishes are. You can create a traditional meat and spaghetti dish or a quick seafood and linguini pasta meal in 30 minutes, and most times there will be leftovers!

I love homemade meaty crockpot pasta sauce, but when your schedule is tight and you want a shortcut, RAGÚ® Homestyle sauce is my go to sauce! Not only is it quick to warm up, but when you open a jar of RAGÚ® it tastes like it’s homemade.

The sauce is thick and hearty and folds onto the pasta hugging each noodle so you get a coating of sauce in every bite.  RAGÚ® also tastes delicious with zucchini noddles, which I’ve been eating a lot of lately.

The hard part is deciding which of the five new bold flavors of sauce to choose from; Traditional, Meat, Roasted Garlic, Four Cheese or Mushroom.

For this Fried Halloumi Cheese Pasta dish I used the Four Cheese pasta sauce made with 100% California-grown, vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh spices! It’s delicious right out of the jar, so no ingredient tweaking is necessary.

Even though our kids are out of the house, Alan and I still need quick meal options during the work week.  We’re not picking up the kids from practice or rehearsal, but we are multi-taking our own busy schedules.  I go to the gym after work, and Alan is running around taking care of of our fur babies as soon as he walks in the house.

This is when team work comes into play. I’ll text Alan to boil some pasta and simmer some RAGÚ® sauce. By the time I get home dinner is practically ready!  All I do is fry up the zucchini and Halloumi cheese, and in under 10 minutes we’re sitting down for our evening meal.

If you haven’t tried halloumi cheese go find it right away!  It’s made from a mix of goat and sheep milk.  I’m in love with the flavor.  It’s more flavorful than mozzarella, but not as tart as feta. It’s a perfect mix between the two. It also has a high melting point so it doesn’t turn into a gooey mess when frying it up!

For more recipe ideas be sure to check out RAGÚ®‘s website.  You’re sure to find new quick and tasty recipes. Also, don’t miss the round up 15 Weeknight One Pot Meals for Busy Moms that I shared last week.

Fried Halloumi Cheese and Zucchini over Pasta

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: Sandra @ The Foodie Affair

Recipe type: main dish

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta (penne)
• 1 tablespoon oil (coconut or olive)
• 4-6 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced
• 4-6 large disks of zucchini, sliced
• 1 package vegetable slaw (broccoli or zucchini)
• 1 23 ounce RAGU Homestyle pasta sauce
• Basil and parmesan cheese to top dish

Instructions

1. Boil water for pasta and cook according to packaged directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Warm prepared pasta sauce in a medium sauce pan.
3. In a large skillet warm oil over medium heat. Add zucchini and cheese browning each side for about 2 minutes each. Remove from skillet and set aside. In the same pan saute vegetable slaw until tender (about 5 minutes).
4. To plate vegetable slaw dish, layer a plate with the prepared vegetables. Add about ¼ cup of Ragu sauce over the slaw. place a zucchini disk on top. Add 1 teaspoon of pasta sauce, then add the cheese topping it with more sauce. Serve with fresh basil and parmesan.
5. For the Pasta dish, place pasta in a large bowl. fold in pasta sauce to your preference. Place desired amount on a plate. Layer zucchini and cheese disks as described above. Garnish with basil and parmesan cheese.

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