Zucchini Lasagna

This zucchini lasagna recipe is one of my favorites for anyone who prefers to eat low carb, gluten-free or simply wants to add more veggies to the classic lasagna recipe. It tastes super delicious and is just as good as classic lasagna. Even my traditional-pasta-loving friends loved this recipe! If they loved it, you are definitely going to love it, too!

Why make zucchini lasagna?

I get this question a lot. And I for sure love to enjoy a piece of classic lasagna. But sometimes, I just love to create healthier and lighter versions of classic recipes. And this zucchini lasagna recipe is an amazing example. Compared to traditional lasagne it is:

• lighter
• low carb
• low calorie
• gluten-free
• more nutritious

And most importantly: it is just as tasty and satiating! It really is a great recipe to make while zucchinis are in season.

Ingredients

The ingredients needed to make this zucchini lasagna recipe slightly differ from the ones you usually need. To make this recipe, you need:

• ground beef
• zucchinis
• carrots
• onions
• tomato passata
• parmesan
• mozzarella
• ricotta
• eggs
• garlic
• olive oil
• paprika powder
• bay leaves

Instead of using lasagna noodles, we use thin zucchini slices. The béchamel sauce is substituted with a super delicious and healthier cheese mix.

How to make zucchini lasagna

Preparing this zucchini lasagna takes a bit more time than the recipes I usually share, but it still is very simple to make. I love to prepare it on weekends or whenever I simply have more time to make a delicious dinner for myself and friends. Preparing this recipe takes five steps: preparing the zucchinis, making the bolognese sauce, preparing the cheese mix, assembling the lasagna and baking it.

1. Prep the zucchini slices

Preparing the zucchini slices is very easy and I highly suggest not skipping this step! This step is all about dewatering the zucchinis so that you have a zucchini lasagna that is super flavorful and not watery.

First, you cut the zucchinis lengthwise into thin slices. If you have a mandoline, you can totally use it to slice the zucchinis. You can also go the route I took and use a knife to cut the zucchinis into thin slices.

Next, take some paper towels, add the zucchini on top of the paper towels, use salt on both sides of the zucchini slices and let them sit until you assemble the zucchini. You can also layer the salted zucchini slices with some paper towels in-between the zucchini slice layers to save some space in the kitchen. Before assembling the lasagna, make sure to press the remaining water out of the zucchinis using paper towels.

2. Make the bolognese

Add olive oil to a pot and heat it using medium-high heat. Then, you cut the carrots and onions into small dices. Next, you mince the garlic. When the pot is hot enough, you simply add the carrots, onions, garlic and ground beef to the pot and sauté everything until the meat is fully browned. Then, you add the tomato passata, the bay leaves, the paprika powder and salt and pepper. Give everything a stir to mix things up and reduce the heat to let the bolognese sauce simmer for 15 minutes with the pot covered.

3. Make the cheese mix and prepare the mozzarella for baking

Before you start making the cheese mix, preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).

Now, you can take care of the cheese mix. Grate the amount of parmesan as stated in the recipe and set one part of it aside (for the top lasagna layer). Simply add the ricotta, grated parmesan cheese and the egg(s) to a bowl. Add salt and pepper and mix everything until the cheese and eggs are combined.

When the cheese mix is done, you can prepare the mozzarella for the top lasagna layer. The parmesan should already be grated. Simply cut the mozzarella into very small cubes and set it aside. By now, the bolognese sauce should be done.

4. Assemble the lasagna

At this point, you are almost finished (and one step closer to enjoying this yummy zucchini lasagna!). All that is left to do is assembling the lasagna. Use this order to layer the lasagna:

1. Bolognese
2. Zucchini slices
3. Bolognese
4. Cheese mix (use less than what you see in the pictures, I used a bit too much there)
5. Repeat layers 2, 3 and 4
6. Grated parmesan
7. Mozzarella cubes

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5. Bake the zucchini lasagna

This one is probably the easiest of all steps. Simply add the lasagna to the oven and let it bake for 40-50 minutes at 400 °F (200 °C).

And you are done! Now you can enjoy this super delicious and healthy lasagna recipe with friends and family.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #bitesofberi on Instagram, friends!