Italian food will always be my go-to type of cuisine; either for eating out or cooking at home. Pasta and sauce was a weekly staple growing up. (Although, back then I preferred just noodles with some butter and parmesan  cheese). Whenever I actually have the time on a Sunday, I love to make sauce. The smell of garlic and onions cooking in olive oil is heavenly. They should really make a candle with that scent.

Anyways, I was looking for a pasta dish to make for dinner, but wanted to try something new. I was looking for a heartier, ‘stick to your ribs’ kind of dinner. Lasagna popped into my head. It had been quite some time since I had made a lasagna. The layers of cheese, sauce, noodles, had my mouth watering already. Since we have low-carb, less processed food type of eating habits now, layers of giant pasta noodles don’t really fit that. What could I possibly substitute for a lasagna noodle?? The answer, zucchini.

Zucchini seemed perfect because:

1. It will hold up to being cut lengthwise

2. It won’t get too mushy when cooked

3. It tastes like whatever seasoning/sauce you put on it

The layers are very important in lasagna. Each layer must be carefully executive. Sauce, zucchini noodle, ground beef, spinach/ricotta and repeat. After the last zucchini noodle layer, add some more sauce and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

This is a hearty, healthy dish that will fill you right up! It is great for make ahead lunches for the week. Or for a small get together with friends. Impress them with your cooking skills 🙂

Enjoy! xo

Alicia

Zucchini Lasagna

6-9 Servings – 20 min. prep – 30-35 min. cook time

 

Ingredients

1 large zucchini, or 2 medium

1 lb ground turkey

2 C spinach, fresh

½ C ricotta cheese

2 tsp Salt, Pepper, Oregano

EVOO

½ C mozzarella

½ C grated parmesan

1 jar pasta sauce (24oz) or about 2 1/2 cups homemade

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°
2. Put your mandolin on the largest setting, carefully slide the zucchini lengthwise. Your result should be a long, thin slice of zucchini, resembling a lasagna noodle. Continue until the zucchini is gone
3. Heat a medium sized pan to medium heat. Drizzle a little bit of EVOO into the pan. Add the ground turkey thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside
4. In the same pan you cooked the turkey, add a little more EVOO. Add the spinach, wilt down, about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally
5. Once wilted, add the ricotta. Mix together until ricotta and spinach are combined, 4-5 minutes
6. Now we need to build the layers. Spray a 9’’ by 12’’ pan with non-stick spray or rub with a little EVOO. The layers will go
   • ½ C sauce
   • Zucchini noodles to cover
   • ½ turkey, ½ spinach/ricotta mixture
   • ½ C sauce
   • Zucchini noodles to cover
   • ½ turkey, ½ spinach/ricotta mixture
   • ½ C sauce
   • Zucchini noodles to cover
   • ½ C sauce
   • Top with mozzarella and parmesan
7. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Cheese should be bubbly and golden brown on top
8. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Cut, serve, enjoy!

 

zucchini lasagna