Although it hasn’t been the best year for squash, zucchini are seemingly always in abundance, which means people are seemingly always trying to offload them onto neighbors. Or at least come up with interesting ways to use them.
If you’re buried in cucurbits, then you should appreciate this recipe for zucchini lasagna, an easy and versatile take on traditional Italian. This version just uses zucchini “noodles” instead of your usual pasta. So I guess that makes this a good gluten-free option too. And it doesn’t have to be limited to zucchini either – we sliced up some eggplant and tomato and layered that on too.
Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium to largish zucchini, sliced thinly (a mandoline is a must, unless you have really spectacular knife skills)
- 1 medium eggplant, also thinly sliced
- 3-4 tomatoes, sliced, but not necessarily thinly
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- Olive, avocado or coconut oil
- A handful of fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, and thyme
- Grated mozzarella, provolone, or your cheese of choice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add a swirl of oil and when hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook for a couple minutes, then add the ground beef. Cook until browned.
- Lasagna is all about layers, so now it's up to you. Layer whatever you've got, however you want it. For this version, I put a little oil down in a 9 x 13 pan first, then laid down some zucchini strips.
- Next I spread the meat mixture and sprinkled some salt, pepper, and chopped herbs on top of that.
- Follow that up with a layer of eggplant, then tomato, then one more of zucchini.
- Finally, top the whole thing with cheese.
- Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes, covered.
- Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Let it cool, then enjoy!
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