The delicious result has all the wonderful flavors we love in traditional lasagna, with the advantage of a vegetable base. This lasagna is so good! Layers of grilled zucchini slices, well-seasoned meat, creamy ricotta, and mozzarella combine into a wonderfully flavorful lasagna that everyone in my family enjoys. I love zucchini and use it in several other recipes, such as zucchini noodles, grilled zucchini, zucchini pizza, and zucchini fries. But this one is my favorite!
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe Card
For the zucchini layer: Fresh zucchini, olive oil spray, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Beef layer: Ground beef, garlic, olive oil, and marinara sauce. I prefer to use a sugar-free sauce such as Rao’s. Ricotta layer: Ricotta cheese, eggs, and fresh basil. It’s important to use fresh basil. Dried won’t be as good. Fresh basil is far more flavorful. I also urge you to use whole-milk ricotta cheese for the best texture and flavor. Mozzarella layer: I use shredded mozzarella cheese. It’s fine to use store-bought pre-shredded mozzarella. Part-skim mozzarella works and is widely available, but if you can find whole-milk mozzarella, that’s even better.
You start by slicing the zucchini lengthwise, seasoning the slices, and grilling them. If you’re using large zucchinis, ½ pound each, cut them in half crosswise, and then slice them lengthwise. Save the prettiest slices for the top of the lasagna. Mix the ricotta cheese with eggs and basil. Bake the lasagna until hot and bubbly, then serve. Grilling works best to remove the water. But as an alternative to grilling, you can bake the zucchini slices in a 500°F oven until golden, for about 5 minutes on each side, as shown in the photo below: You can also broil the zucchini. Use a broiler-safe baking sheet and unbleached parchment paper marked as broiler-safe (or nonstick foil). Broil the zucchini slices 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below) for 3-4 minutes per side. If opting for baking or broiling the zucchini slices, remember to set the oven to 350°F when you’re done. But I sometimes add a green vegetable, such as steamed broccoli, sauteed spinach, or roasted asparagus. It’s also good with keto garlic bread, tomato salad, and arugula salad.
