Craving comfort food without the guilt? Dive into our Zucchini Lasagna—a low-carb, veggie-packed twist on the classic dish that’s as delicious as it is nutritious! Perfect for satisfying your cravings while keeping your health goals on track. 🥒🍅
Image source: AI-generated
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes (plus 10 minutes resting)
Ingredients
For the Zucchini & Meat Sauce:
- 2½ cups zucchini, sliced lengthwise ¼-inch thick (about 2 medium)
- ½ lb lean ground beef (or 1 lb for a meatier dish)
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- 2 small tomatoes, diced
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ cup water
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
For the Cheese Layer:
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese (or ricotta)
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
- 1 tsp flour
Directions
- Prep Zucchini:
- Cook zucchini slices until tender (steam, boil, or sauté). Drain and set aside.
- Make Meat Sauce:
- In a skillet, brown ground beef and onion over medium heat. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, water, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until reduced to ~2 cups.
- Prepare Cheese Mixture:
- In a bowl, mix beaten egg, cottage cheese, half the mozzarella, and flour.
- Assemble Lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a 1.5-qt baking dish, layer:
- Half the meat sauce
- Half the zucchini
- All the cheese mixture
- Remaining meat sauce
- Remaining zucchini
- Bake:
- Cover and bake 30 minutes.
- Uncover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella, and bake 10 more minutes.
- Rest & Serve:
- Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes:
- For extra cheesiness, increase mozzarella to 8 oz (2 cups).
- Substitute cottage cheese with ricotta for a creamier texture.
- Letting it rest ensures cleaner slices.
Enjoy your lighter, veggie-packed lasagna!
