This zucchini lasagna is the best comfort food for a cold day when you want all of the flavour but none of the carbs of a traditional lasagna.
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 large zucchinis cut 1/4 inch thick lengthwise (about 16 slices)
- olive oil or olive oil spray
- salt and pepper
Meat Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion
- 4–6 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, turkey or lamb
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 3 cups marinara sauce (divided)
- pinch chili flakes (optional)
- 8 basil leaves, torn
RIcotta Mixture
- 15–16 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425F
Cook Zucchini: Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. You’ll need 16-18 good slices. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan, spray or brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in the hot oven, for 20-ish minutes, or until fork-tender. Set aside. Alternatively, you can grill zucchini over medium-high until tender for even more flavor.
Make the Filling: In a large saucepan or skillet, saute the onion, garlic in a little oil, for 1-2 minutes, over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and lower heat to medium, and break it apart as it cooks until completely crumbled and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Drain any of the fat. Return meat to the pan and add salt, pepper, oregano and 2 cup marinara sauce. Give a good stir, cover and bring to a gentle simmer until heated all the way through. Stir in torn basil leaves.
Ricotta: Mix the ricotta cheese in a medium bowl with the egg and nutmeg.
Assemble: Pour 1/2 cup of marinara to coat the bottom or a 9 x13 inch pan lightly. Place 8-9 slices of zucchini ( save the prettiest, most uniform ones for the top.) to cover the bottom. Pour the meat sauce over top. Spoon the ricotta mixture over the meat sauce and spread it around. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the grated cheese. Add the top layer of zucchini. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of marinara over top and spread evenly into a thin layer. Dust with the remaining grated cheese.
Bake: Wipe off the edges of the pan, cover with foil and bake at 425F for 20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking, until golden and bubbling, 5-10 more minutes.
Tips!
Make sure you let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes after it out of the oven or it will be extremely juicy.
If you like your lasagna super cheesy feel free to add some grated mozzarella on the top during the last 10 minutes.
