Zucchini Lasagna – Homemade low carb lasagna is a delicious gluten-free, keto recipe that will make you forget about pasta. This is the world’s best lasagna recipe, but without the carbs.
I’ve been on the quest for the perfect keto lasagna for a few months now. I can assure you that this keto recipe is the ultimate lasagna recipe. It the absolute perfection and you won’t crave classic lasagna with noodles ever again.
Ingredients for the keto zucchini lasagna
Zucchini is the perfect vegetable to use instead of lasagna noodles because it’s low in carbs and it doesn’t affect the taste or the texture.
- 2-3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8 inches thick
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 15 oz tomato sauce / crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Seasonings: 3 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
The seasonings are the key to creating an aromatic zucchini lasagna. Basil and oregano are needed for the authentic flavor.
How to make zucchini lasagna?
The best zucchini lasagna starts with making a perfect low carb bolognese sauce. What’s a bolognese sauce? It’s a meat-based sauce that has its origins in Bologna, Italy. The onion and minced garlic infuse the sauce with flavor. Dice your onion and garlic very small because we don’t want a chunky sauce.
- Prepare the zucchini lasagna noodles.
- Mix all the delicious cheese into a bowl.
- Make the delicious low carb meat sauce.
- Assemble the lasagna: meat sauce, zucchini, cheese, meat sauce, zucchini. Repeat!
- Let it cool before serving and enjoy!
Tips for a perfect zucchini lasagna
- To make even thin slices of zucchini you’ll have to use a mandoline. While slicing the zucchini by hand with a knife also works well I love how fast and what perfect slices I get when using a mandoline. Be careful not to cut yourself.
- Zucchini absorbs flavors very well, so make sure to use little salt because we don’t want super salty zucchini “lasagna noodles”. I know it’s tempting to use more salt, but trust me it’s not a good option.
- To prevent a very watery lasagna you can grill the zucchini to help remove the moisture. This step also contributes to a better overall taste of the lasagna.
- Bake the zucchini lasagna uncovered for almost half of the time because it helps the liquid to dry more moisture resulting in a lasagna that holds well together.
- To make a vegetarian zucchini lasagna substitute the ground beef with 2 cups of your favorite sauteed vegetables such as mushrooms, red peppers or onions.
Other keto recipes you might like:
Keto Alfredo Creamy Zucchini Noodles
Zucchini Lasagna – Keto & Low-Carb Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium zucchini sliced 1/8 inches thick
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cup mozzarella shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 15 oz tomato sauce / crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Slice the zucchini into 1/8″ thick slices using a mandoline and arrange them on paper towels. Lightly salt them and set aside for 15 minutes. This step will help to remove the excess moisture. Pat the zucchini dry with a clean paper towel.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and the garlic for about 2 minutes until they are soft and golden. Add the meat and seasonings. Brown the beef for 5-10 minutes. Drain the excess fat.
- Add the crushed tomatoes over the meat and stir to combine the ingredients. Simmer on low for 25-30 minutes. The meat lasagna should be thick. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
- In a large bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella.
- Grease an 8X8 casserole with olive oil or cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom and top with zucchini. Over the zucchini add 1/3 of the cheese filling spreading it as even as possible. Top with sauce, another layer of zucchini, cheese and repeat until all the ingredients are used up. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella on top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes. Uncover the foil and bake 20 minutes until the edges look crispy. Let it cool for about 20 minutes before slicing.
what temperature should the oven be set to for this? for some reason this is all caps, i’m not angry:)
I updated the post and added the temperature. It’s 375F.