Lasagna is a favorite of my family and a “healthy” version can be a little tricky. Substituting the noodles for zucchini in the recipe gives you the texture and feel of lasagna with out any flour!
Start with cutting 2lbs of zucchini into quarter inch strips lengthwise. Brush one side with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Place the zucchini oil side down in a hot grill pan. Brush oil over the other side and season as well. You will need to cook these in batches as you will need plenty of “noodles.” Cooke then for 2-3 minutes on each side until brown and firm. Remove and place on a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Next you will brown 1lb ground beef in a skillet with garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Drain excess oil and add 1 cup of your no sugar marinara sauce (we used Rao’s). Remove from head and set aside.
The last component of our lasagna is the filling. Ina bow you will add 15oz ricotta cheese, 2 eggs and 1/4 cup fresh basil. Mix together and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a 11 x 7 pan spread 1/3 cup marinara sauce over the entire bottom of the pan. Place a layer of zucchini on the sauce, laying the slices flat and covering the entire pan.
Use 1/3 of the ricotta mixture to make a layer over the zucchini and spread 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese on top of that.
Finally add 1/3 of the meat sauce mixture on top of the cheese. Repeat these layers twice ending with meat sauce and mozzarella cheese on top.
Cook for 30 – 40 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes after removing from the oven. Cut into 8 servings. This will be your full protein, full fat, and 4oz of veggies. Add 10oz more of veggies for a BLE women’s weight loss portion dinner. Recipe to follow.
zucchini lasagna
- 5 medium zucchini (2 lbs)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic Powder
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/3 cup marinara sauce, divided
- 15oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 8oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
Slice zucchini lengthwise, into 1/4 inch thick strips, getting 6 slices out of each zucchini, discarding the ends.
Brush the zucchini slices with a small amount of olive oil, and sprinkle them with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Grill the slices, in batches, for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden and firm. Spread them on a paper towel to soak up more moisture.
In a large skillet, brown ground beef, with minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/4. tsp black pepper and Italian seasoning about 5 minutes. Drain and mix in 1 cup of marinara sauce. Take off heat. Set aside.
Mix together ricotta, eggs, basil, 1/2 t. salt and black pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread 1/3 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of an 11 x 7 baking dish. Top with a layer of zucchini, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the meat mixture, and 1/3 of the shredded cheese.
Repeat twice to make three layers.
Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is golden, about 30 – 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
8 servings
Enjoy!