Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna
First things first, this recipe came about while I was making jumbo stuffed shells. This is not a full size lasagna. It's on the mini side and adequate for 2 to 3 servings tops. You'll have plenty of ragù and cheese filling with this one so, you're getting 2 in 1 recipes today! I'm including the stuffed shells process as well. Creating a lighter meal alternative out of a hearty dish is one of my favorite things to do. It's a great little trick when dealing with picky eaters or special dietary needs.
Although I made my own meat sauce, store bought marinara will work just fine. I also want to note that I have a crockpot meat sauce very similar to this one under "Lean Slow Cooker Ragù". Please see that page for the crockpot instructions. It's a prefect dinner to start in the morning and finish after work.
Ok, let's get to it.
INGREDIENTS
Ragù
1lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
1 medium carrot, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 minced garlic cloves
24oz jar tomato passata
15oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp bouillon (chicken or beef)
2 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Ricotta Filling
1 egg
15oz ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
1 cup mozzarella, grated
1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
pinch of salt & pepper
Mini Zucchini Lasagna
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
sauce
cheese filling
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large pot over medium high heat, add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onions, followed by carrots and sauté for about 2 minutes.
Add ground beef and sausage to the pan. Break up the meat and combine well. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink. (Remove from heat and strain fat if desired).
Add crushed tomatoes and passata to the pot. Remember to rinse containers with a little water for the extra bits of tomato sauce. Add thyme, Italian seasoning, bouillon and crushed red pepper flakes. Combine well and bring to a simmer. Taste for salt, address any seasoning needs, cover and continue to cook on low for 1 to 2 hours. If possible aim to cook for 3 to 4 hours. Make sure you mix occasionally as well. Now you see why I included a crockpot ragù version. 😅
While the ragù is cooking, prep the cheese filling. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk one egg, add the ricotta cheese followed by mozzarella, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Combine well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Thinnly slice the zucchini. I prefer to slice mine with a knife to control the thickness. Use whatever method or tool works for you. Just remember that zucchini is watery. If this concerns you, you can do one of the following:
Salt zucchini slices: Salt helps draw water out of the zucchini. Once salted, let them sit for 15 minutes before blotting dry (and removing some of that salt) with a paper towel.
Grill to reduce the moisture: Grill the zucchini slices for 1 to 2 minutes on each side to reduce water in the lasagna.
Once ready, take a small baking dish and spray with olive oil spray. For reference my dish is approximately a 7x5 dish - about the length of a zucchini.
Layer zucchini first followed by some sauce, and a little ricotta cheese filling (more if you desire). Add another layer of zucchini, followed by more sauce and top with mozzarella.
Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Stuffed Shells
You did all this work, might as well make stuffed shells too! For stuffed shells you'll need a package of jumbo shell pasta and about 2 more cups of mozzarella cheese.
Cook shell pasta in salted water according to the package. Use a spider to keep pasta from sticking and remove one by one. You can also rinse pasta and drain.
Stuff the shells with the ricotta cheese mixture followed by some ragù. I use a spoon to fill the pasta but you can use a piping bag and pipe the cheese filling into the shells. It's definitely neater to use a piping bag but I don't care for neatness most days.
Spray a 10 inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Ladle a layer of ragù, followed by the stuffed shells. Ladle another layer of sauce and top with as much mozzarella cheese you like. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Makes about 25 shells.
If you decide to skip the stuffed shells, that's fine. Just double the zucchini and make a larger lasagna. Cooking is a formula, do whatever makes you happy!
Enjoy!
Xx Dee
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