Zucchini Lasagana Recipe
Are you in need of a healthy meal that still tastes like comfort food? If so, you are in the right place! This recipe will blow your mind. This is a pasta dish, without the fattening pasta! It replaces pasta with zucchini, but do not be alarmed, you will not be able to tell that there is no pasta in it. We promise, if you are a lasagna fan, you will be happy with the end result of this recipe. If you have never tried substituting pasta with zucchini, we urge you to just give it a shot one time. Even if you think you are pretty sure that you will not like it, it cannot hurt to try right? If you just give it a chance, you may be surprised to find how amazingly good it is! It is no lie that you can really have traditional comfort food dishes like lasagna without the fattening parts. Here is the recipe that the video lays out for us (oh, and by the way, try this recipe with your kids, but do not tell them that the pasta is actually a veggie until they have eaten it and told you they loved it! They will be shocked):
First, slice the zucchini lengthwise extremely thin. The video recommends slicing to about a quarter inch thickness. You can do this with a mandolin slicer to ensure that your cuts are even throughout. If your slices are uneven, it can affect the cooking process of your faux pasta. After slicing, put all of the zucchini in a bowl and toss salt. Let the zucchini sit with the salt in the bowl for ten to fifteen minutes.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, pour in a half cup of olive oil. Add in an onion finely chopped, and brown the onions. The chef in the video uses red onion, but any onion will suffice. Many people actually prefer to use a small yellow, sweet onion for added flavor without the extra spice if you are not a huge fan of onions.
When onions have browned, add in a few cloves of minced garlic. Freshly minced garlic is always preferable, but use what you have. If you are one of those who is not keen on mincing garlic by hand, there is a trick you can use to make this process easier, and it will actually add even more flavor to your dish: lightly toss your garlic cloves in a little olive oil, and roast them for just a few minutes until the tops of the garlic cloves have browned slightly. Remove from the heat, and place them on a cutting board. Take a fork and squish the garlic cloves. When they are roasted like this, they will squish easily, saving you time and effort as opposed to having to chop and mince finely. This also gives an excellent aroma and roasted flavor to your garlic.
Add a half pound of ground beef and brown until fully cooked. Salt the meat during the process. Add a can of crushed tomatoes, torn fresh basil, and honey to the beef mixture. In a separate bowl away from the heat, blend ricotta cheese, egg, and Parmesan cheese. Add pepper. Lay out your zucchini slices on a baking sheet and pat dry.
In a casserole dish, begin layering your lasagna. Alternate the layers of the sauce (beef mixture), the zucchini slices, and the cheese mixture. The video shows a beautiful and artistic way of layering the pasta like a basket weave which also adds more pizzazz to your dish. Make your layers as thick or thin as you like.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Enjoy!!!
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