This zucchini lasagna is a great adaptation of the classic Italian dish. Thinly sliced zucchini makes for the perfect noodle substitute and then layered with ground meat and sausage bolognese sauce, which will give you that comforting dish feeling without all the heavy carbs.
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While I love just about everything Italian such as bread, pasta, and of course pizza, we can find ourselves sometimes eating a tad too many carbs. Don't get me wrong, I love carbs! However, sometimes we just want something a little lighter that still offers that same comfort feeling you get from a good pasta dish.
That is where zucchini lasagna comes in! It has all the great flavors from a meat bolognese sauce then layered between thin slices of zucchini. It really is the perfect balance between healthy and comfort food.
Tips for Making Zucchini Lasagna
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 don't 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. It's important to make sure your sauce is nice and thick with no standing liquid. The zucchini is unable to absorb the excess liquid like a pasta would. If you are unable to reduce all the liquid, just drain before assembling the layers or scoop using a slotted spoon.
3. Use crushed tomatoes. Diced tomatoes have a lot of liquid so I recommend using crushed tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes have a creamier texture which will help reduce the liquid in this dish.
Here is what you will need:
Ingredients
For the bolognese meat sauce:
- 1lb Ground Meat (beef, venison, and turkey are all great choices)
- 1lb Italian Sausage
- 2 Tbl Olive Oil
- ½ Large Onion
- 1 Large Carrot - Diced
- 2-3 Ribs of Celery - Diced
- 3 Garlic
- 1 - 15oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 - 6oz Can Tomato Paste
- 2 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of the following:'
- Salt
- Dried Basil
- Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
For the Layers
- 3-4 Medium Zucchini - Diced ⅛ thickness with a mandolin slicer
- ½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ Cup Fresh Parsley - Chopped
Instructions
1. Chop all the veggies, garlic, parsley, and slice the zucchini.
I recommend a thickness of ⅛" for the zucchini. If it is too thin they can get really soggy when baked.
I prefer to use my mandolin slicer to get the perfect slices of zucchini. You can set your thickness and each one comes out perfectly uniform.
2. Start off by heating a cast iron or other skillet and once warm, add the olive oil.
3. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the carrots and celery and continue to sauté until soft. About another 4-5 minutes. Add in garlic for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
4. Once all the veggies are soft, add in the ground meat and sausage and cook until browned. Around 10 minutes. Drain off all excess grease before moving forward.
5. Add in the canned tomatoes, seasoning, and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and allow all the liquid to reduce down. Pour off any excess and prepare to layer the pan.
6. In a 9x13 pan assemble the first layer of zucchini by laying them along the short width of the pan. Make sure each slice slightly overlaps each other.
7. Take just over a cup of the meat sauce and spread evenly over the zucchini.
8. Repeat that step for a total of 3 layers.
9. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
10. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35-45 min. For the last 5 minutes or so take the foil off and allow the cheese to fully melt.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 min before serving.
This dish makes for great leftovers and will last covered in the fridge for a few days.
Other Recipes you May Enjoy:
I love using fresh produce to make popular dishes a little healthier. You can see my other posts such as:
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If you try this recipe I would love to hear about it! Leave me a comment or tag me on Instagram @dirt.dough
Recipe
Zucchini Lasagna
Equipment
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.
This looks so delicious great way to sneak in more veggies for the kids!
It is a great way to get more veggies in their diet. They love the sauce so much makes them forget there is zucchini.
Thank you for this healthy lasagna recipe!
Your Welcome! I hope you enjoy it.
This looks really good! I like the tip about making your sauce as thick as possible so it makes up for the water in the zucchini.
It really seems to help. There is a little water just naturally from the zucchini so a thick sauce is the trick.