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5 from 4 votes

Zucchini Lasagna

This zucchini lasagna is one of my favorite adaptations of the classic Italian dish. Thinly sliced zucchini makes for the perfect noodle substitute and then layered with a ground meat and sausage bolognese sauce, gives you that comfort dish feeling without all the heavy carbs.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Bolognese Sauce20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 People
Calories: 439kcal
Author: Kristin

Equipment

  • Large cast iron or other skillet
  • 9"x13" Baking Pan

Ingredients

For the Bolognese Meat Sauce

  • 1 lb Ground Meat Beef, Turkey or Venison
  • 1 lb Italian Sausage
  • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • ½ Large Onion Diced
  • 1 Large Carrot Peeled and Diced
  • 2-3 Ribs of Celery Diced
  • 3 Cloves of Garlic Minced or Pressed
  • 1 15 oz Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 6 oz Tomato Paste
  • 2 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of the following Salt, Dried Basil, Dried Oregano
  • ½ teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

For the Lasagna Layers

  • 3-4 Medium Size Zucchini Sliced about ⅛" thick length wise
  • ½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • ¼ Cup Fresh Parsley Chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the Bolognese Meat Sauce

  • Chop all the veggies, garlic, and parsley.
  • Bring a large cast iron skillet or other pan to temp over medium heat.
  • Add 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Saute the onions for 3-4 minutes or until soft and translucent
  • Add the carrots and celery and continue to saute until soft. About another 4-5 minutes
  • Add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds
  • Add in ground meat and sausage and cook until browned. Once browned drain any excess fat.
  • Add in canned tomatoes, all seasonings and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and allow to cook until all the liquid has reduced down.
  • Pour off any excess liquid and prepare your pan.

Building the Layers

  • While the bolognese is cooking slice all your zucchini length wise at around ⅛" thickness.
  • In a 9"x13" pan assemble for first layer of zucchini. Place zucchini across the width of the pan slightly overlapping them.
  • Cover the zucchini with a layer of the meat sauce. Just over a cup of the sauce.
  • Repeat the last two steps for a total of 3 layers.
  • Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Sauce should be bubbly and cheese melted.
  • The last 5 minutes, remove the foil and bake until the cheese is fully melted.
  • Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

1. Slice the zucchini about ⅛" thick. Zucchini is full of water so this dish will naturally be a tad on the watery side. Slicing them around ⅛" thick will ensure they do not get too soggy.
2. Reduce down all the liquid in the bolognese. When you bake the lasagna it will naturally have some liquid from the zucchini so make sure your sauce is nice and thick with no standing liquid. If you are unable to reduce all the liquid, just drain before assembling the layers.
3. Use crushed tomatoes. Diced tomatoes have a lot of liquid so I recommend using crushed tomatoes. It has a creamier texture vs. watery. Using crushed tomatoes will help keep your bolognese from being too runny.
4. Makes great left overs! Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1323mg | Potassium: 978mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2726IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 10mg