Hello Ladies!
If you're anything like me I LOVE lasagna! When I was in college I would whip up a big lasagna, freeze some and then my sister and I would have a delicious and hearty meal for the week!
Now that I'm aware of my gluten and dairy intolerance and much more mindful about what ingredients I'm putting into my body I decided to come up with a new lasagna recipe! I hope that you enjoy it!!
Alright, let's make dinner!
Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients:
> 2-4 medium to large zucchini (sliced thin to make the noodles)
> 1 jar Rao's Sensitive Marinara Sauce (or sauce of your choice)
> 1-1/2 lbs ground beef (you could also use ground turkey)
> 2 TBSP Garlic Infused Olive Oil
> 1 bunch of fresh parsley
> 1 bunch of green onions (chopped - green part only if SIBO)
> 2 containers of Vermont Creamery crumbled goat cheese
> 2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
> salt & pepper to taste
> Italian seasoning to taste
Instructions:
1. Slice zucchini. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices, as thin or thick as you'd like. Set aside.
**PRO TIP: Prepare your zucchini ahead of time. Slice your zucchini into 6-8 thin slices length wise to make the noodles. Then there are two options to prepare you zucchini noodles. 1) you can slice your zucchini then pan cook them for 2 minutes on each side to help remove the water content from the zucchini so that you lasagna will be less watery. 2) you can slice your zucchini and sprinkle them with salt and allow to sit for about 15 minutes to allow them to sweat some of the water off. Then use a towel to dry off the zucchini. I have done both and option 2 is what I did last time and my lasagna was definitely more watery but still delicious and it was less of a mess to clean up so that one wins for me! lol!
2. Heat garlic olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until it is browned. Then add 3/4 of the jar of tomato sauce to the ground beef. Here is where I will add some Italian seasoning to give the sauce some more flavor. Taste test and add more salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning as you see fit.
3. Add the first layers. Prepare your 9x13 deep pyrex dish or whatever you have. Add some tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan and line the first row of zucchini noodles on top of the sauce. You want the zucchini to slightly overlap.
4. Add the secondary layers. Add a layer of the cooked ground beef. Sprinkle a layer of crumbled goat cheese on top of ground beef. Sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley and chopped green onion on top of cheese. Add a little bit more pasta sauce and then sprinkle with cheddar.
5. Repeat these layers one more time.
6. Finish the topping. Top the lasagna with a final layer of zucchini slices, a sprinkle of chopped parsley and green onion, and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.
7. Bake. Place the lasagna in the oven and cook for 40 to 45 minutes. Broil for a couple of minutes to get a nice golden top. Allow at least 5 minutes for the lasagna to cool and then serve.
