Zucchini Lasagna made with zucchini slices instead of pasta sheets, beef sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese is low carb and gluten free!
Zucchini Lasagna is a healthier take on classic lasagna without compromising on taste. Lots of zucchini slices sandwiched between flavorful beef sauce, creamy ricotta, fresh herbs, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. I guarantee you will not even miss the pasta here. This is one of my favorite low carb recipes. You can have an extra serving of this delicious Zucchini Lasagna without any guilt.
ZUCCHINI LASAGNA
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When it comes to low carb or Keto diet, Zucchini is a fantastic substitute. You can substitute regular noodles with Zucchini noodles aka Zoodles in your favorite recipes, without altering the recipe much.
This Zucchini Lasagna recipe is straightforward to make. The beef sauce has lots of tomato, fresh herbs, and spices. Ricotta and egg mixture in between the layers adds that creaminess in every bite. I have used a combination of mozzarella cheese and parmesan for extra flavor.
How to Make Zucchini Lasagna
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Start with making the sauce. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute until softened. Add minced garlic, saute for 30 seconds. Add ground beef & break up large chunks of meat with a spatula and cook until it is no longer pink.
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Add bay leaf, fennel, oregano, paprika, chopped basil, and parsley. (Reserve 1 tablespoon each of basil and parsley for ricotta mixture). Stir well. Add Crushed tomatoes, Tomato paste. Mix well and let it cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Cover and let the beef mixture cook on low heat for another 15-20 minutes.
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While the sauce is simmering, mix ricotta cheese, egg, chopped basil, parsley (reserved while making the sauce), a big pinch of salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
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Prepare zucchini noodles. (see tips below)
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Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Prepare an 8 x 8-inch deep baking dish.
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Spread a thin layer of beef sauce at the bottom. Arrange zucchini slices in a single layer, slightly overlapping each other.
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Spoon ricotta mixture over the zucchini slices spread to a thin layer. Top the ricotta layer with another layer of zucchini slices. Then top it with beef sauce followed by mozzarella cheese.
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Repeat the above two steps for two more times until you have used all the zucchini slices. At the end, on the top layer sprinkle mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
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Cover the baking dish loosely with an aluminum foil. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly and small brown spots start to appear.
How Long to Bake Zucchini Lasagna
Zucchini noodle lasagna bakes for 30 minutes covered with foil and then another 15 uncovered for a total of 45 minutes.
How to Make Zucchini Lasagna Noodles
Zucchini is very high in water content and tend to release a lot of water when cooked. So one of the crucial steps in making this lasagna is to prepare the vegetable before using it in the dish. This step might seem like extra work, but draining as much liquid as possible before baking is required to avoid excess liquid in the final dish.
- Use a mandoline slicers to get slices of even thickness. The slices should neither be too thick or too thin.
- In a big wide container put the sliced zucchinis. Sprinkle roughly 1 teaspoon of salt, gently toss everything. Let it rest for 10 minutes. You would notice the zucchini has released lots of liquid. Drain as much liquid as possible.
- On a clean kitchen towel, spread zucchini slices in a single layer and place another paper towel on top to soak the liquids. You will have to do this step in 3-4 batches.
Tips for Making Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna
- Along with draining liquid from the zucchini slices, we need to make sure the tomato beef sauce is as thick as possible. Cook the beef mixture until all the liquid has evaporated (Thick compared to the beef sauce for regular lasagna).
- I prefer to use tomato paste along with crushed tomato for the intense tomato flavor.
- Drain ricotta before mixing with eggs.
- Use fresh basil and parsley for extra flavor.
Grab all the zucchini at your farmer’s market and try these delicious recipes!
- Super Easy Parmesan Crusted Zucchini
- Lemon Zucchini Cake
- Cheesy Zucchini Rice
- Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt Ranch
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- More dinner ideas…
Tools used to make this Zucchini Lasagna recipe
Large Skillet: This skillet is my go-to kitchen tool. It’s large circumference and high sides make it perfect for cooking anything from one pan meals to soups and sauces.
Mixing Bowl: These mixing bowls get used just about every day at my house. The grip handle makes them easy to hold and the pour spout makes them perfect for batters!
Mandolin: The best kitchen tool for thin sliced, perfect every time cuts of your favorite foods!
Square Baking Dish: A square baking dish is a must have for home cooks. This one comes with a sturdy lid for easy storing and transporting your favorite dishes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 large Onion Chopped
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Minced
- 2 Bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon Fennel Crushed
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- ½ cup Fresh Basil chopped (divided)
- ½ cup Parsley chopped (divided)
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup Ricotta (drain extra liquid)
- 1 Egg
- 2 large Zucchini
- 1.5 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Start with making the sauce. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add oil to the pan.
- When the oil is medium hot, add chopped onion and saute until it is softened approx. 2 minutes. Add minced garlic, saute for 30 seconds. Then add ground beef. Break up large chunks of meat with a spatula and cook until it is no longer pink.
- Add bay leaf, fennel, oregano, paprika, chopped basil, and parsley. (Reserve 1 tablespoon each of basil and parsley for ricotta mixture). Stir well. Add Crushed tomatoes, Tomato paste. Mix well and let it cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Cover and let the beef mixture cook on low heat for another 15-20 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, mix ricotta cheese, egg, chopped basil, parsley (reserved while making the sauce), a big pinch of salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- Using a mandolin - slice zucchini length wise into thin strips. Put the zucchini slices in a bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt, toss gently, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Drain liquid from the bowl. Place zucchini slices on a clean kitchen towel in single layer. Place another towel on top and press gently to soak all the remaining liquids. Repeat with remaining Zucchini slices.
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Prepare an 8 x 8-inch deep baking dish.
Assembling the lasagna
- Spread a thin layer of beef sauce at the bottom. Arrange zucchini slices in a single layer, slightly overlapping each other.
- Spoon ricotta mixture over the zucchini slices, spread to a thin layer. Top the ricotta layer with another layer of zucchini slices. Then top it with beef sauce followed by mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the above two steps for two more times until you have used all the zucchini slices. At the end, on the top layer sprinkle mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Cover the baking dish loosely with an aluminium foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven at 375 F degrees.
- Carefully remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more until the cheese is bubbly and small brown spots starts appearing.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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