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Using Summer Zucchini~Two Different Ways

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Lately I have been craving zucchini….go figure. I’ve been lightly sautéing it in butter with salt and pepper and just eating bowlfuls of it. However, I still have more in the refrigerator and decided to whip up an old favorite, zucchini lasagna. This low-carb dish is a repeat meal at our home and it freezes well too.

With the balance of the zucchini, I thought I would try Ambitious Kitchen’s recipe for Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter zucchini bread.

Making Zucchini Lasagna

I tend to stray from recipes based on what I have in the fridge. Sometimes I make it without meat and sometimes with either turkey or ground beef. Since we are cutting down on our red meat consumption, this recipe also works well with ground turkey or chicken.

Quite honestly, anything smothered in tomato sauce and cheese is very edible in my opinion. For this recipe I am using 1 lb. ground turkey.

First I slice the zucchini really thin….it helps if you have a mandolin where you can adjust the blades. Arrange the zucchini in a colander and sprinkle each layer with salt. Set the colander somewhere it can drain.

After sautéing the onions and garlic in olive oil, I add the turkey. Turkey tends to be bland so here is where you want to step up the seasoning.

I add onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, salt, and pepper.

For the tomato sauce, I used up all the leftover sauce in the refrigerator and also added some roasted tomatoes I made last week. This is another worthy “clean out the fridge” recipe. To see another recipe where you use whatever you have in the refrigerator, click here.

Since my container of ricotta was opened and not completely full, I added some leftover cottage cheese, slightly beaten egg, and some spinach.

In a greased casserole dish, layer the bottom with the half of the tomato/meat sauce.

The next layer is the zucchini but I blot it first with paper toweling as the salt makes the zucchini “sweat”.

Using the ricotta mixture, spread that on top of the zucchini slices.

Top with cheese. I didn’t have any mozzarella, but I did have Monterey Jack.

Now repeat the entire process again, starting with the tomato/meat sauce on top of the shredded cheese.

Top the final layer with the Parmesan cheese. Cover the casserole with foil and bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the temperature and bake another 15 minutes (or longer to get the top brown and bubbly).

Any leftovers freeze well. I am always delighted when I am starving and I find a serving in the freezer waiting for me.

Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread

Since I already had all the ingredients this went together very quickly.

It feels a bit like cheating to have vegetables in your dessert, right? But zucchini provides a rich texture and moisture in this low-carb, nutritious recipe. Click here for the direct link to Ambitious Kitchen’s recipe for this.

Below I’ve included the recipe for the lasagna from All Recipes. However, again, I tend not to follow it completely but it does provide a guideline for quantities and ingredients. I believe you can add and subtract ingredients and it will still taste fabulous. A recipe that is flexible is my kind of recipe.

Happy Wednesday! Eat your veggies! And stay safe out there.

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No Noodle Zucchini Lasagna

  • 2 large zucchini
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 small green bell pepper (diced)
  • 1 oninon (diced)
  • 1 cup tomato paste
  • 1 (16 oz)can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano (chopped)
  • 1 15 oz. package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms (sliced)
  • 8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 8 ounces grated Parmesan Cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a deep 9 x 13 inch baking pan

  2. Slice zucchinin lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle slices lightly with salt; set aside to drain in a colander

  3. To prepare the meat sauce, cook and stir ground beef and black pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add in the green pepper and onion; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, wine, basil, and oregano, adding a small amount of hot water if sauce is too thick. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer sauce for about 20 minutes, sitrring frequently.

  4. Meanwhile, stir egg, ricotta, and parsley together in a bowl until well combined.

  5. To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the meat sauce into the bottom of prepared pan. Then layer 1/2 the zucchini slices, 1/2 the ricotta mixture, all fo the spinach, followed by all of the mushrooms, then 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Spread Parmesan cheese evenly over the top; cover with foil.

  6. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.