Zucchini Lasagna

I’ve seen tons of recipes all over Pinterest that substitute veggies for pasta, with one of the most popular options being zucchini. I thought it would be worth a try! The biggest thing I learned from comparing several recipes was the importance of drawing the excess water out of the zucchini: those who skipped this step had an extra soupy outcome! I was very happy with the consistency we got with our attempt… very similar to our pasta version {not to mention that the gluten free lasagna noodles aren’t exactly cheap, so it’s an extra awesome alternative for us!}

 

 

You’ll notice the “prep time” below is an entire hour {in addition to the hour it takes to bake!} It’s definitely a little more time consuming than regular lasagna, but it’s a lot healthier too. Of course I also had a cranky toddler I was dealing with, so maybe that time could be cut down under more ideal circumstances 🙂

 

Gluten Free Zucchini Lasagna

Kate Bro
Delicious cheese and beef lasagna with zucchini swapped for traditional pasta
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 16

SUPPLIES

  • mandolin, optional
  • paper towels (or thin cloth towels)
  • Skillet
  • 9x13 baking dish
  • tin foil

Ingredients
  

  • 5-6 medium zucchini
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 36 oz Spaghetti sauce
  • 32 oz Mozzarella cheese
  • 16 oz Parmesan cheese
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese or Cottage cheese

Instructions
 

  • Begin by cutting washed zucchini into 1/8″ slices. We used our Pampered Chef mandolin which helped speed up the process.
  • Layer the slices between paper towels, lightly salt each layer, and let set for 10-15 minutes. This will help absorb a lot of the excess water and prevent the lasagna from getting soupy. While waiting on the zucchini, brown hamburger.
  • Next the zucchini needs to be slightly grilled {on traditional grill or in a skillet} to reduce the moisture level even more… cook over medium heat about 1-2 minutes each side. It should look ever so slightly browned, but not completely. Soak excess water with paper towels again.
  • Preheat oven to 350° F
  • Set aside 2/3 cup of the sauce and mix the rest with cooked hamburger in medium bowl.
  • Next all you have to do is layer your ingredients! You don’t have to do it exactly like I did, but I have found having a “middle layer” of just cheese really helps the lasagna to set up nicely after it comes out of the oven. Here’s what I did:
    1/3 cup “plain” sauce,
    zucchini, 1/3 ricotta, 1/4 mozzarella, 1/2 beef sauce, 1/4 Parmesan
    zucchini, 1/3 ricotta, 1/4 mozzarella, 1/4 Parmesan
    zucchini, 1/3 ricotta, 1/4 mozzarella, 1/2 beef sauce, 1/4 Parmesan
    zucchini, 1/3 cup “plain” sauce, 1/4 mozzarella, 1/4 Parmesan 
  • Top with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered. Let sit at least 10-15 minutes before cutting.

 

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