Zucchini Lasagna
If you planted a vegetable garden this spring and included zucchini plants, then you are picking lots of these delicious green beauties like the rest of us. Zucchini Lasagna is a great recipe for using your fresh zucchini in a tasty way. Simply layer the noodles and beefy pasta sauce with thinly sliced zucchini and a blend of Italian cheeses. Even your picky-eaters will love this lasagna!
Many people add vegetables to lasagna, but have you ever thought to include zucchini. It’s a great choice to include in pasta dishes. Just like the pasta, the zucchini will absorb the Italian flavors in the dish and make it hearty and delicious. Make this spin on classic lasagna and it is sure to become a recipe that you return to time and time again.
When to pick zucchini?
Zucchini should be picked from the garden when it is dark green in color and is about 8 inches in length. If you let it grow, it will get enormous.. It is still usable when bigger, but it will be full of seeds and not as tender as it is when smaller in size. The plant will also produce more zucchinis, as it has time to regenerate in between harvests.
There are some basic ingredients needed when making Zucchini Lasagna. No-Boil lasagna noodles, ground beef, pasta sauce, sliced zucchini, and mozzarella cheese are the main components in the dish. Onions and herbs are added for additional flavor.
Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 48-ounces pasta sauce, two 24-ounce jars
- 48 thin slices of zucchini, about an 1/8 of an inch thick
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12-ounces No-Boil (oven ready) lasagna noodles
- 3 cups of shredded mozzarella or Italian Blend cheese
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella, for topping
How to make Zucchini Lasagna?
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onions and ground beef until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Add the Italian seasoning and stir.
- While the ground beef is cooking, spray the bottom of a 13×11-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread about 1/2 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of the dish. Add one layer of no-boil lasagna noodles over the sauce, four noodles side by side.
- Add the the rest of the pasta sauce from two jars and 1 cup of water to the ground beef mixture in the skillet. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cover the noodles with a thin layer of the beefy pasta sauce. Cover each noodle with 4 thin slices of zucchini. Sprinkle zucchini with garlic salt and ground pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the zucchini.
- Repeat these layers (noodles, beef and sauce mixture, zucchini slices and cheese) two more times. Then, finish the lasagna by placing one last layer of lasagna noodles on top and cover with the remaining beef and pasta sauce mixture. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the foil. Add the sliced fresh mozzarella to the top of the lasagna and cover again with foil. Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to stand for 10 minutes before removing the foil. Recipe makes 16 servings.
Cut Zucchini Lasagna into large pieces and serve it with crusty bread and a leafy salad. Your family will love this recipe and your garden zucchini will disappear as quick as you can pick it.
More of the Best Zucchini Recipes
- Italian Zucchini Boats
- Garden Zucchini Chowder
- Pina Colada Zucchini Bread
- Spiral Zucchini and Pepper Saute
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
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Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 48 ounces pasta sauce, two 24-ounce jars
- 2 small zucchini, cut into thin slices, about an 1/8 of an inch thick
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 ounces No-Boil lasagna noodles, oven ready
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onions and ground beef until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Add the Italian seasoning and stir.
- While the ground beef is cooking, spray the bottom of a 13×11-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread about 1/2 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of the dish. Add one layer of no-boil lasagna noodles over the sauce, four noodles side by side.
- Add the the rest of the pasta sauce from two jars and 1 cup of water to the ground beef mixture in the skillet. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cover the noodles with a thin layer of the beefy pasta sauce. Cover each noodle with 4 thin slices of zucchini. Sprinkle zucchini with garlic salt and ground pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the zucchini.
- Repeat these layers (noodles, beef and sauce mixture, zucchini slices and cheese) two more times. Then, finish the lasagna by placing one last layer of lasagna noodles on top and cover with the remaining beef and pasta sauce mixture. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the foil. Add the sliced fresh mozzarella to the top of the lasagna and cover again with foil. Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to stand for 10 minutes before removing the foil. Recipe makes 16 servings.
Equipment
- 1 13×11-inch baking dish
- 1 large skillet