Zucchini Lasagna
We’re talking lots of layers of zucchini, mushrooms, a delicious beef sauce and, of course, loaded with lots of cheese. At 368 calories a serving, you can eat lots of this decadent and delicious lasagna, guilt free! Seriously! I shared this recipe with you almost 6 years ago, when I first made this with my friend. Back then, I didn’t know anything about Keto but I always did try to eat less carbs, especially at the beginning of the year. You know when resolutions of eating healthy are still fresh. So this gorgeous lasagna is what my friend and I came up with, over a glass of wine, or two. It has zucchini in place of noodles, a delicious tomato sauce with ground beef and amazing spices, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese, ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
How to Prepare The Zucchini
The star of this dish is the zucchini. Zucchini slices is what replaces our lasagna noodles. Lasagna noodles be gone, we don’t need you anymore! While you can use a knife to slice the zucchini, nothing beats a mandoline. It’s quick and painless. What I didn’t show you in the video, is how to get the water out of the zucchini, because zucchini is pretty watery. However, this problem is very easy to take care of. Simply lay out the zucchini slices over some paper towels, drizzle some salt over the slices of zucchini, then place another paper towel over the top to soak up all that water. You’ll notice that within a couple minutes the paper towels will be wet already. Another solution, would be to grill the zucchini slices or even bake them in the oven.
What Other Veggies Can You Use
This lasagna is perfect for loading it up with veggies. I used layers of mushrooms which are great because not only do they provide lots of flavor but they are also quite meaty. Other veggies you could use are peppers, lots of spinach, onions, eggplants or even pumpkin. Use your favorite veggies, you really can’t go wrong.
How to Make Zucchini Lasagna
To make zucchini lasagna is the same as making any regular lasagna. I like to start by making the beef sauce first because it needs to simmer for about 15 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, you can prepare the zucchini as instructed. Once the sauce and zucchini slices are ready, all that’s left to do is assemble and bake.
How to Assemble Zucchini Lasagna
Make sure you prepare all your ingredients and they are all ready to use. This will make your lasagna assembly super quick and easy. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, start with a layer of zucchini, followed by a thin layer of mozzarella cheese, mushroom slices, beef sauce, then ricotta cheese. Repeat 2 more times. Here is the order of the layers:
Zucchini slices Mozzarella cheese Mushrooms Sauce Ricotta cheese Zucchini slices Mozzarella cheese Mushrooms Sauce Ricotta cheese Zucchini slices Mozzarella cheese Mushrooms Sauce Ricotta cheese Mozzarella slices Parmesan cheese
How Long to Bake
It takes about 40 to 50 minutes to bake this zucchini lasagna at 375 F degrees. Bake it until the sauce and cheese get all bubbly, and the cheese starts to get golden brown on top. There really is no need to cover the lasagna with foil as you bake it, however you could cover it with aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes, and bake it uncovered for the rest of the time.
Make Ahead
For sure! If you’d like to prepare ahead of time, I recommend freezing it before baking it. Simply assemble the lasagna as stated in the recipe, cover it with foil or plastic wrap tightly. I also recommend placing the whole dish it in a large freezer bag, this way it will last for about 2 to 3 months in the freezer. When ready to bake, thaw out the lasagna in the fridge for 24 hours. Once it has defrosted, bake as instructed at 375 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes.
Leftovers
Cool the lasagna completely then cover it with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate. It will last 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Freezing
Yes, as mentioned above, assemble the zucchini lasagna as stated, then cover it with foil or plastic wrap tightly. Place the whole dish in a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Looking for More Lasagna Recipes? Try These:
Taco Lasagna Easy Beef Lasagna Skillet White Chicken Lasagna Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna) Lasagna Roll-Ups Eggplant Parmesan Vegetable Lasagna
