I love this recipe for Zucchini Lasagna because it manages to be meaty while being low-carb. Thin strips of zucchini replace pasta in this healthier version of the classic Italian meal. The beefy bolognese sauce brings this zucchini lasagna to life, and you won’t even miss the pasta.
This recipe comes together in under an hour, with just 20 minutes of preparation time, and it feeds six. If you truly love pasta and can’t give it up, you could half the amount of zucchini and add both lasagna noodles and slices of zucchini to this recipe. While zucchini has a different consistency than pasta, the al dente baked zucchini is a substitute I am happy to make. More veggies, less carbs, I think it is a win.
Charles gave this recipe an enthusiastic thumbs up, and said that he particularly loved the combination of the beef and zucchini. We did agree that this recipe would be a bit bland without the beef, but you could use any meaty sauce you like.
Before we jump the recipe – here are some similar recipes that you might love!
Here is my Great Aunt Diddie’s classic bolognese sauce recipe.
Or if you want more recipes using zucchini instead of pasta, I highly recommend this Zoodles Alla Rustica – it’s a quick and healthy one pot recipe!
Yields 6
20 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
50 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 3/4 pound Ground Beef
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 28-ounce can Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 4 Zucchini
- 1 15-ounce tub of Part Skim Ricotta
- 10 ounces Frozen Spinach
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Start off by preparing the bolognese sauce. Melt the butter in a medium sized pot. Once the butter has melted, run the garlic cloves through a garlic press and stir them into the butter. After a minute, add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and use a wooden spoon to break the beef up into small pieces. Stir frequently until the beef has browned.
- Pour the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste over the beef, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a slow and steady boil and let the sauce reduce for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, use a peeler to create slices of zucchini. I experimented with a few different tools, including a mandoline, and found that a peeler worked best.
- Thaw the frozen spinach (I placed it in a fine mesh strainer and ran it under hot water) and squeeze out the excess water. Then stir the spinach and ricotta together.
- To assemble the lasagna, start by pouring a thin layer of the bolognese sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Then add zucchini on top. You want a nice thick layer of zucchini, I made the layer double thick. Next add 1/2 of the ricotta and spinach mixture and spread it over the zucchini in an even layer. Then add another layer of zucchini on top. Pour half of the remaining bolognese over the zucchini.
- Repeat the last steps, creating layers of zucchini, ricotta, and zucchini. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, and sprinkle the parmesan over.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, and serve immediately.
