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Laughing Spatula / Recipe Index / Casseroles / Zucchini Lasagna- No Fuss Recipe

Zucchini Lasagna- No Fuss Recipe

By Kathi & Rachel

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 Enter- Zucchini Lasagna! This no fuss recipe is simple easy, and combines whole ingredients for a healthy-ish dinner your family will love. Zucchini strips replace lasagna noodles for a low carb take on an old Italian classic.

zucchini lasagna in a white casserole dish with a spoon coming out of it

Zucchini lasagna is the same as traditional lasagna- layers of zucchini ‘noodles’, meat sauce with marinara, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella. The only difference is this version is low carb because it has no pasta in it.It’s a win-win! I did not miss the noodles because the flavor is so good.

a slice of zucchini lasagna

Let’s get started! First off- preheat your oven to 375 degrees farenheit.

Step 1: Cut ends off of zucchini after washing, and using a mandolin (preferably with safety glove or safety attachment!) slice lengthwise into slices. Using a mandolin ensures that all of the zucchini slices are the same size. We recommend using the mandolin on 3mm. Lay the zucchini on either a baking sheet or a cutting board, and sprinkle salt on both sides. This helps remove excess water (see picture below- you can see the water droplets forming!). Let salt sit on zucchini while we move to the next step.

If you don’t have a mandolin- fear not! You can use a potato peeler (though the slices won’t be as large and it will take longer) or you can just slice them by hand.

salted zucchini on a bamboo cutting board to remove moisture

Step 2: Cook ground turkey in a skillet with 1 diced onion, and 2 tbsp olive oil.  Once meat is fully cooked, add 24 ounces of marinara sauce, making sure to reserve 1/2 cup for later on. Set aside and allow to cool. While allowing sauce to cool, use a paper towel to ‘dab’ excess water and salt off of both sides of zucchini slices.

add meat sauce to zucchini lasagna in white casserole dish

Step 3: Mix 2 eggs with 15 ounces of ricotta cheese. Set aside. Adding these 2 eggs to the ricotta makes the ricotta stay fluffy when baking.

Step 4: Add reserved 1/2 cup of marinara to bottom of pan. Begin to assembly lasagna. We like to do this in the following steps (see picture below!). 

  1. Zucchini noodles
  2. Meat sauce
  3. Ricotta Mixture
  4. Shredded Mozzarella
  5. Repeat for one more layer, and end with a final top layer of zucchini noodles and shredded mozzarella on top.

collage of zucchini lasagna assembly procedures

Step 5: Bake your noodle free zucchini lasagna at 375 degrees farenheit for 40-45 minutes. I like mine to be fairly well broiled on top so during the last 5 minutes I switch the oven to a high broil, and let it brown. If you do this, watch it closely- broilers can vary and I don’t want to be the bad guy that burnt your dinner! 🙂  

zucchini lasagna fresh out of the oven with broiled top in a white casserole dish

Now- let’s answer all of your zucchini lasagna questions!

  • How else can I make sure the zucchini doesn’t get watery?
    • In addition to salting the zucchini and ‘dabbing’ it with a paper towel, you can then grill it or roast it in the oven with a little bit of olive oil. I prefer to do this in a grill pan as I like the grill marks it makes on the zucchini.
  • What kind of pan did you use?
    • I use a 9×13 porcelain casserole dish. This one here, to be precise!
  • What kind of mandolin do you use?
    • I use this one from Amazon. It comes with safety gloves. PLEASE use safety gloves or a guard if you are using a mandolin for ANYTHING. They are dangerous and can do serious damage to your fingers. 
  • What kind of ground turkey did you use?
    • I use Jenny-o 93/7 ground turkey. Isernios is another great brand.
  • What other meat can I use?
    • Sausage, ground chicken or ground beef would work great as well.
  • What kind of marinara sauce did you use?
    • I use Newmans Own. Trader Joes is great as well. Rao’s from Costco has a recent cult following though I haven’t tried it yet (but want to!0. Any marinara sauce of your choice would work.
  • How can I make this vegetarian?
    • Use equal amounts of diced vegetables instead of ground meat. I suggest dicing mushrooms, canned artichokes, eggplant (though make sure you salt it to remove bitterness), and spinach.
  • What kind of ricotta did you use?
    • I use whole milk Galbani ricotta cheese. It is sold at most grocery stores.
  • What kind of shredded mozzarella did you use?
    • I use Kraft shredded mozzarella. I do recommend buying fresh and grating it yourself if you have the time though- the flavor and texture is much better.
  • What other vegetables can I add?
    • Cherry tomatoes, fresh roasted garlic, mushrooms, spinach, canned artichoke hearts, eggplant, even garbanzo beans would be delicious.

zucchini lasagna in a white casserole dish with a spoon coming out of it

  • What other recipes with Zucchini do you suggest?
    • Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp
    • Savory Zucchini Bread 
    • Rich Chocolate Zucchini Bread 
  • What other low carb dinners do you recommend?
    • Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad
    • Grilled Mahi with Avocado and Corn Salad
    • 30 Minute Lemon Shrimp and Asparagus Packets
    • Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
    • Chili Lime Chicken Burgers with Avocado Salsa
    • Classic Salisbury Steak

Here’s to delicious and healthy dinners! – Rachel 

a slice of zucchini lasagna

Zucchini Lasagna

A delicious, low carb dinner that replaces regular noodles for zucchini noodles! Our recipe is no fuss, and only takes a few steps to make.
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Author: Kathi & Rachel

Equipment

  • Mandolin
  • 9x13 Pan

Ingredients

  • 4 large zucchini sliced into strips with a mandolin or potato peeler
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 24 ounces marinara sauce reserve 1/2 cup for later
  • 1 cup diced white onion
  • 2 eggs
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 2 tbsp salt to remove exess moisture- more may be needed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cut ends off of zucchini after washing, and using a mandolin (preferably with safety glove or safety attachment!) slice lengthwise into slices, about 3mm (or 1/8 of an inch) thick. Lay the zucchini on either a baking sheet or a cutting board, and sprinkle salt on both sides. Allow to sit while you complete the next 2 steps (at least 15-20 minutes)
  • Cook ground turkey in a skillet on medium high with diced onion, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Once meat is fully cooked, add 24 ounces of marinara sauce, making sure you reserve 1/2 cup for later on.
  • Mix eggs with ricotta cheese. Set aside
  • Use a paper towel to 'dab' excess water and salt off of both sides of zucchini slices.
  • Add reserved 1/2 cup of marinara to bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Begin to assemble lasagna, allowing enough to use 2 layers for each ingredient.
    Zucchini noodles
    Meat sauce
    Ricotta Mixture
    Shredded Mozzarella
    Repeat for one more layer, and end with a final top layer of zucchini noodles and shredded mozzarella on top.
  • Bake your noodle free zucchini lasagna at 375 degrees farenheit for 40-45 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

- I like mine to be fairly well broiled on top so during the last 5 minutes I switch the oven to a high broil, and let it brown. If you do this, watch it closely- broilers can vary and I don't want to be the bad guy that burnt your dinner! 🙂 
-Zucchini Lasagna will by nature (zucchini is 95% water) be a little more 'watery' than you are used to. Use a large spoon to drain some moisture and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving to help.

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 2540mg | Potassium: 987mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1226IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 365mg | Iron: 2mg

*Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This does not cost you any extra and helps keep the ovens running at the Laughing Spatula kitchens!

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Filed Under: Casseroles, Gluten Free, Healthy Recipes, Low Carb/KETO, Main Course Recipes, Most Popular Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alicia Sydney says

    October 28, 2021 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    Love this!!

    Reply
  2. Linda says

    August 19, 2020 at 7:02 am

    5 stars
    I used eggplant as one layer and zucchini as the other layer. Incredible!!
    And another tip for anyone who is watching their carbs – use a sugar free sauce and it becomes a much lower carb recipe.

    Reply

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