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Zucchini Lasagna
Instead of noodles, Zucchini Lasagna uses roasted zucchini ribbons layered with ricotta cheese and plenty of homemade meat sauce in this delicious, lightened-up Italian casserole.
👥 12 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 1h 10m⏳ Prep: 10 min🔥 Cook: 1h👤 Meggan Hill📖 culinaryhill
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●baking sheet
- ●oven
- ●bowl
- ●saucepan
- ●baking dish
📝 Preparation Steps
1
To make the zucchini:
2
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
3
In a large bowl, add zucchini slices, olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper (I like 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Toss to combine.
olive oil2 tablespoonsSalt and freshly ground black pepperteaspoon salt1/2
4
Arrange zucchini slices on prepared baking sheets in an even layer. Bake until zucchini is light golden brown and fork-tender, about 12 to ⏱️ 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
5
To make the sauce:
6
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add beef (or sausage) and onion, and cook until mostly browned, about ⏱️ 5 minutes. Drain if desired. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about ⏱️ 30 seconds.
ground beef (see note 1)2 pounds
7
Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds. Simmer uncovered until thickened, about 15 to ⏱️ 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper (I like 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper). You should have about 2 quarts of sauce.
tomato sauce15 ouncestomato paste6 ouncesItalian seasoning (see note 3)1 tablespoonfennel seeds (see note 4)1 teaspoonSalt and freshly ground black pepperteaspoon salt1/2
8
To make the ricotta filling:
9
In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley, and salt. Chill until sauce and zucchini are finished.
ricotta cheese (see note 5)15 ouncesegg1dried parsley2 teaspoonsminced fresh parsley for garnish
10
To assemble and bake the lasagna:
11
In the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch dish, spread 2 cups meat sauce. Arrange a single layer of zucchini over the meat sauce. Spread with heaping 2/3 cups ricotta mixture. Top with about 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
shredded Parmesan cheese1 cup
12
Spoon 2 cups meat sauce over the cheese. Make another layer of zucchini, ricotta mixture (2/3 cup), mozzarella (1 1/2 cups) and Parmesean (1/3 cup). Repeat layers one more time, for a total of three layers.
13
Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bubbling hot, and cheese is beginning to brown, about 25 to ⏱️ 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest ⏱️ 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
dried parsley2 teaspoonsminced fresh parsley for garnish
Nutrition Facts
calories
507 kcal
fat Content
35 g
serving Size
1 slice
fiber Content
4 g
sugar Content
11 g
sodium Content
954 mg
protein Content
33 g
trans Fat Content
1 g
cholesterol Content
124 mg
carbohydrate Content
18 g
saturated Fat Content
16 g
unsaturated Fat Content
14 g
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