Calzones with Dipping Sauce

Here is an easy recipe for Calzones with dipping sauce. I’m one of those cooks who just throws things in the pan, so my measurements might not be so exact, but you’ll get the idea. I get all these ingredients at Trader Joes and this makes 2 good size calzones.

Ingredients

2 or 3 zuchinni squash (depending on size)
9 cloves of garlic, minced (use fresh)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package sliced mushrooms (then chop smaller)
Olive oil or vegie broth to saute
1 container (about 16 oz) ricotta cheese
shredded mozzerella cheese (couple handfuls)
grated parmesan cheese (couple handfuls)
1 ready made pizza dough (found in the cold section near the salads at Trader Joes)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
crushed red pepper
italian seasoning
salt and pepper

For Calzones:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In large skillet, saute chopped onion in olive oil or veggie broth (or your saute medium of choice), for 2 or 3 minutes
3. Add chopped zuchinni and mushrooms and 3 cloves of chopped garlic
4. Saute until cooked through – add some salt to soak up moisture from mushrooms (you don’t want soggy calzones)
5. In a bowl, mix together cooked veggies and ricotta cheese and a handful or two of grated parmesan
6. Press out pizza dough in cookie sheet so it becomes a big rectangle. Cut in half width-wise – these will be your 2 calzones.
7. In each half, place a handful of shredded mozarella cheese and add your ricotta-veggie mixture to each side also.
8. Fold each piece of dough over the filling and press down the sides where they meet. If you have too much filling, you’ll know because it will leak out (but this tastes good too)!
9. You can brush the tops with a tiny bit of olive oil or just place directly in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they get golden brown.

For Sauce:

1. In a saucepan, saute remaining 6 cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil until they become golden brown.
2. Add can of crushed tomatoes
3. Add italian seasoning and crushed red pepper to your taste; an important trick is to “crush” the dried seasonings in your hands before adding to the sauce – it releases a lot of flavor and will really make your sauce taste great.
4. Cook for about 15 minutes.

Serve calzones with marinara dipping sauce on side. You can, obviously, substitute whatever ingredients you enjoy in the calzones – I’ve done them with sausage, spinach, etc. and they are always a hit!