This is a great dish if you love lasagna but are trying to cut back on pasta or just want a lighter dish. My family devoured it (and they very rarely opt for the vegetable version of something!)
Tip: To avoid a watery dish when using zucchini to replace a traditional noodle make sure to dry it as well as possible before cooking it. For this recipe we dried the cut strips in the oven at 375o on a jelly roll with cooking racks placed in them.
Ingredients:
10-12 large Zucchini, cut into approx. 1/4″ strips (see above tip)
1 large onion
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large portobello mushroom, chopped finely/minced
1lb ground beef (can substitute other meats if desired)
1 jar Due Cellucci Traditional or Tomato Basil Sauce
Basil (if you have on hand)
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Mozzarella
1 container Ricotta or Mascarpone Cheese (let it sit outside of the fridge for a bit so that it’s easier to spread)
Grated Parmigiano Cheese
Preparation:
Meat Sauce:
1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil, until soft and
2. Add meat and portobello mushroom and cook until browned and cooked through. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
3. Stir in jar of sauce, and simmer low for about 20 minutes.
4. Stir in fresh chopped basil. Set aside
Lasagna Assembly:
Use a Large casserole dish and layer as follows:
Layer 1 – Zucchini
Layer 2 – Meat sauce
Layer 3 – Ricotta and sprinkle Parmigiano Cheese
Layer 4 – Thin layer of shredded mozzarella
Keep repeating until you’re at the top (probably 3 times depending on your pan)
Final Layer should be just Zucchini and sauce.
Bake at convection 350o for 30 minutes then add a layer of mozzarella on top and bake for another 10 mins or until cheese is golden brown.
