Zucchini Lasagna is a delicious naturally gluten-free, low carb recipe filled with vegetables. This is the world’s best zucchini lasagna recipe, that will make you forget the carbs.
I’ve been on the quest for the perfect keto lasagna for a few months now. I can assure you that this recipe is the ultimate keto lasagna recipe. It the absolute perfection and you won’t crave classic lasagna with noodles ever again.
The Best Zucchini Lasagna Ingredients
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. These delicious layers of zucchini are topped with super delicious beef tomato, all covered in lots of shredded cheese.
It’s interesting to figure out the veggies are incredible when paired with the right ingredients. Growing up, little did I know about how tasty veggie meals are, I just disliked eating them, and that was it! Just in that one night, my mother made this scrumptious lasagna with delicious meaty and cheesy layers. And that’s when my mother first tricked me into eating zucchini lasagna, and I didn’t even notice a difference. It is that delicious! What’s your favorite meal with hidden veggies?
For lasagna with zucchini you’ll need basic low carb ingredients that are extremely easy to find and super tasty:
- zucchini
- ground beef
- onion
- garlic
- mozzarella
- parmesan
- ricotta
- tomato sauce / crushed tomatoes
- olive oil
- oregano
- dried basil
- pepper
- salt
- ground cayenne pepper
- fresh parsley (to garnish)
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 fine because we don’t want a chunky sauce.
Prepare the zucchini lasagna noodles. The best way to get perfect zucchini slices is to use a mandoline. You can use a sharp knife cut thin zucchini slices, but that is more time and energy-consuming method.
One thing you need to know is that zucchini is 95% water, so an important step is to get as moisture out of them as possible. That can be easily done, by placing the zucchini slices over some clean paper towels, season with salt with then place another paper towel on top to get rid of the excess water.
Within minutes the paper towels will absorb tons of water. Another great way is to grill each zucchini slice for a few minutes.
Then make the cheese and bolognese lasagna sauce.
Assemble the lasagna: meat sauce, zucchini, cheese, meat sauce, zucchini. Repeat! Let it cool before serving and enjoy!
Tips for 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.
Can I make Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna?
Yes, it’s possible to make a vegetarian zucchini lasagna if you substitute the ground beef with 2 cups of your favorite sauteed vegetables such as mushrooms, red peppers or onions. Then continue assembling the lasagna.
How to Store Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
Let the lasagna cool completely and store for 3-5 days in the refrigerator covered in a plastic wrap or foil. Reheat in the oven or microwave when ready to eat!
Other Delicious Recipes You Might like:
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.
How do we calculate the nutrition info?
These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.
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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.