Get the App

Recipes

Find a Recipe Blue Ribbon Recipes Pinch It!™ Feed Browse All Recipes

Editorial

Food Bites & Articles Videos What is a Blue Ribbon? Meet the Test Kitchen

Community

Member Recipes Groups Sweepstakes Contests Shopping

lasagna with zucchini

(4 ratings)
Terrio13 avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
TERRI OPGENORTH
@Terrio13
Lake Mills, WI

I had a LOAD of zucchini from the garden this year and decided to try using it in place of lasagna noodles. While they didn't taste like noodles, the lasagna was fantastic! It came together really quickly too. (see my hints) My husband said, "Write this down so you can make it again!" So here it is for you to try. This is a very forgiving recipe so have some fun with it!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Substituting zucchini strips for pasta is a delicious low-carb option for lasagna. It's so robust and delicious you don't even miss the noodles. This easy lasagna recipe is hearty and cheesy with just a hint of spice thanks to the red pepper flakes. Even if you're not low carb, give this recipe a try. It's super tasty.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(4 ratings)
yield 6 -8
prep time 30 Min
cook time 55 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For lasagna with zucchini

  • 1 lg
    zucchini
  • 1 lb
    cooked hamburger
  • 1 can
    stewed tomatoes, Italian-style
  • 1 can
    spaghetti sauce
  • 1 lb
    cottage cheese, drained
  • 2
    egg yolks
  • 2 c
    mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 6-8 oz
    fresh mushrooms, cooked
  • 1 c
    fresh Parmesan, grated
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 tsp
    red pepper flakes

How To Make lasagna with zucchini

Test Kitchen Tips
Make sure to spray the pan before placing the zucchini or it will stick.
  • Browning the meat.
    1
    Cook hamburger in a skillet, breaking it up nice and fine. Hint: I buy in bulk when I can. Cook and freeze 1 pound packages of hamburger for speedy cooking after work.
  • Browning the mushrooms.
    2
    Cook the sliced mushrooms in the hamburger pan until they are starting to brown. Reserve. Hint: I also cook mushrooms in advance and freeze them for quick meals.
  • Slicing the zucchini.
    3
    Slice zucchini lengthwise in long strips about 1/4" thick. Use a slicer but watch your fingers!
  • Zucchini slices on a sheet pan.
    4
    Place zucchini on a preheated pizza stone or baking sheet in a 375-degree oven. Bake until the surface is dry. About 15 minutes.
  • Soaking up additional moisture.
    5
    Transfer zucchini to clean kitchen towel to soak up additional moisture.
  • Sauce added to the baking dish.
    6
    In an 11x7 glass baking dish pour a bit of spaghetti sauce on the bottom. Add the rest of the sauce to the cooked hamburger.
  • Stewed tomatoes added to the browned beef.
    7
    Drain the stewed tomatoes. Then add to the hamburger mixture. Save the juice for another use or give it to the chickens... they love it!
  • Draining cottage cheese.
    8
    Drain the cottage cheese in a fine mesh strainer. You might have to press it a bit.
  • Eggs added to the cottage cheese.
    9
    Transfer to a bowl and add the two egg yolks.
  • Mushrooms added to the cottage cheese.
    10
    Mix this up and add the cooked mushrooms and the red pepper flakes. You can use a little or a lot. I chose not to add salt but did pepper the mixture well. We like pepper!
  • Slices of zucchini added to the baking dish.
    11
    On top of the sauce in the dish lay a layer of baked zucchini.
  • Adding a layer of the meat mixture.
    12
    Then layer with meat mixture.
  • Adding a layer of cottage cheese.
    13
    Then add a layer of cottage cheese mixture and then a layer of shredded Mozzarella.
  • Repeating layers and ending with mozzarella cheese.
    14
    Repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients. End with the mozzarella. (It doesn't really matter how many layers you make.)
  • Baking the lasagna in the oven.
    15
    Bake the lasagna at 350 until it is bubbly and the kitchen smells divine; about 40 minutes.
  • Letting the lasagna set after being baked.
    16
    Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes or so to reabsorb the moisture.
  • A slice of zucchini lasagna on a plate.
    17
    Cut in wedges and serve with fresh Parmesan on top.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
ADVERTISEMENT