Italian Style Zucchini Lasagna Food

NO-NOODLE ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a deep 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Slice zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle slices lightly with salt; set aside to drain in a colander.
• To prepare the meat sauce, cook and stir ground beef and black pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add in green pepper and onion; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, wine, basil, and oregano, adding a small amount of hot water if sauce is too thick. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer sauce for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Meanwhile, stir egg, ricotta, and parsley together in a bowl until well combined.
• To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the meat sauce into the bottom of prepared pan. Then layer 1/2 the zucchini slices, 1/2 the ricotta mixture, all of the spinach, followed by all of the mushrooms, then 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella. Spread Parmesan cheese evenly over the top; cover with foil.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil; raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

AMAZING NO-NOODLE ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and heat your grill to medium. Slice the zucchinis lengthwise, into 1/4-inch-thick strips, getting 6 slices out of each zucchini and discarding the ends.
• Spray the zucchini slices with olive oil and sprinkle them with 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Grill the zucchini slices, in batches, 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden and firm - not browned and crisp. Spread them on clean kitchen towels to soak up more moisture.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Add the meat, the minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
• Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until the meat is no longer raw, about 5 minutes. Drain into a colander, then return the meat to the pot and mix in 1 cup of the marinara sauce. Turn the heat off and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, with a fork, mix together the ricotta, eggs, basil, and the remaining kosher salt and black pepper.
• Spread the remaining 1/3 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish. You can also use a slightly smaller baking dish such as a dish that measures 11 X 7 inches.
• Top the marinara sauce with a layer of zucchini, then a third of the ricotta mixture, a third of the meat mixture, and a third of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat, arranging the zucchini slices in the opposite direction: zucchini, 1/3 ricotta, 1/3 meat mixture, 1/3 mozzarella.
• Repeat one last time, adding one extra layer of zucchini: zucchini, ricotta, meat mixture, more zucchini, and mozzarella.
• Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is golden, about 30 minutes. You can finish by broiling for 1-2 minutes on high to brown the cheese, if you wish and if your dish is broiler-safe. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN-STYLE ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray an 8x12-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onions begin to soften, approximately 10 minutes. Drain grease. Add minced garlic, canned tomatoes, Diamond Crystal® Fine Sea Salt, and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Drain or blot moisture from the zucchini noodles; place evenly over the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with 1/3 of the sauce, half the cottage cheese, all the baby spinach, and 1/3 of the mozzarella.
• Make another layer of 1/3 of the sauce, the rest of the cottage cheese, 1/3 of the mozzarella.
• Top with the rest of the sauce, the rest of the mozzarella, and the Parmesan cheese.
• Bake until the cheese is slightly browned, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

LASAGNA WITH SPINACH AND ROASTED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the zucchini with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and top with the slices of zucchini. Place in the oven and roast 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, close the oven door and, using tongs, flip the zucchini slices over. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender when pierced with a knife and browned in spots. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.
• Steam the spinach for 2 to 3 minutes above an inch of boiling water, just until it wilts. Rinse briefly with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely.
• Blend the ricotta cheese with the egg, water, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Lightly oil a rectangular baking pan. Spread a small spoonful of tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top the noodles with a thin layer of ricotta, then a layer of zucchini and spinach, a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of Parmesan. Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles topped with tomato sauce and Parmesan.
• Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. Bake 40 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the mixture is bubbling. Uncover and, if you wish, bake another 10 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

CLASSIC ITALIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bechamel sauce:
• In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.
• Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.
• In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

NOODLE-LESS ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the meat, season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and cook, using a wooden spoon to break the meat into small pieces as it browns, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the meat in a colander and wipe the skillet with a paper towel.
• Put the skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Return the meat to the pan, add the tomatoes, basil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer uncovered 10 minutes, until thickened.
• Meanwhile, slice the zucchini lengthwise with a mandolin into 1/8-inch-thick slices (you should have at least 30 to 35 long zucchini ribbons). Lightly salt the zucchini with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and set aside for 15 minutes. Blot the zucchini with paper towels.
• Preheat a grill to medium heat (or preheat a grill pan over medium heat).
• Oil the grill grates or spray the grill pan with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Grill the zucchini until cooked and slightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and press to absorb excess moisture.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, and egg. Spread 1/2 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 × 13 × 2 1/2- inch baking dish. Make a layer of the zucchini over the sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture over the zucchini and sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella. Make another layer of zucchini, top with 1 1/2 cups meat sauce, 1/2 cup ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients for a total of 3 layers. Finish the lasagna by topping with the remaining zucchini and meat sauce. Cover the dish with foil.
• Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and bake 20 minutes uncovered. Add the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and bake uncovered until bubbling and the cheese is melted, 10 more minutes. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into 8 pieces.

ITALIAN STYLE BAKED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small skillet render the bacon. When almost crisp, add the olive oil and heat up. When the olive oil is hot, add the shallots and cook for a few minutes or until tender. Add the oregano and prosciutto and simmer for a minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cut the baby zucchini in half. If you are using small zucchini, then cut them in half horizontally, then each half in quarters lengthwise. Set them in a lightly oiled gratin dish, skin side down. Sprinkle with the bacon mixture and scatter parsley on top. Cover and bake or 20 minutes.

ZUCCHINI AND MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add flour and reduce heat to low, stirring to form a roux.
• Stir in milk gradually, blending so that sauce is smooth.
• Mix in onion powder, garlic, basil, parsley, oregano, and Parmesan cheese; stir and cook until mixture thickens; season to taste with salt and pepper, then keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, while you prepare lasagna.
• In lasagna pan or 13 x 9 inch baking pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray or wipe with a little oil and a paper towel.
• Spread 3 lasagna noodles across bottom, making sure entire bottom is covered; spread 1/3 of ricotta over noodles.
• Place a layer of mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini over ricotta, and spoon 1/4 of the sauce over the vegetables.
• Repeat the layers 2 more times, topping the last cheese/vegetable layer with noodles (there may be a few noodles left over) and the remaining sauce.
• Cover and bake for 40 minutes; uncover, sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese and bake 10-12 minutes more, or until cheese is just starting to turn golden and lasagna is bubbly.
• Allow to sit 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

ITALIAN ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• In a greased 2-1/2-qt. casserole, layer on-third of the zucchini, onion and tomatoes. Squeeze one lemon quarter over all. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Repeat layers. Dot with butter. Squeeze remaining lemon over all. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.

KETO ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Slice the ends of the zucchini. Using a mandoline slicer, cut the zucchini into thin strips lengthwise.
• Lay the zucchini down on a plate or cutting board and a very thin layer of salt over the zucchini. Let sit for 15 minutes. Blot moisture out of zucchini afterwards.
• While zucchini is dehydrating, add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and anise. Continue cooking until ground beef has cooked through. Pour in 1 cup marinara sauce. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• While ground beef is cooking, make the white sauce. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parmesan and garlic powder.
• Assemble the lasagna. Pour 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a small casserole dish. Lay down a layer of zucchini noodles.
• Top with half the ground beef mixture. Spread half the white sauce on top. Layer half the mozzarella cheese down. Repeat the layers.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit for 3-5 minutes to cool before serving.

EASY ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Salt & pre-bake zucchini noodles: arrange zucchini slices on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with course sea salt - let sit for 5-10 minutes so zucchini "sweats" any excess moisture. Use paper towels to press and dry zucchini noodles. Then bake noodles for 8-10 minutes - pat them dry when finished baking. Note: pre-baking the zucchini will help dry up even more moisture from the noodles.
• Ricotta filling: in a medium-sized bowl, mix all of ricotta filling ingredients together.
• Layer ingredients: In a 13x9 baking dish, layer lasagna: spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, add layer of cooked zucchini noodles, thin layer of ricotta filling, and mozzarella cheese & little parmesan, and generous sprinkle of freshly cut oregano & basil. Repeat each step until finished. On top layer with sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
• Bake: Leave dish uncovered and bake for 40-45 minutes, then broil on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes until cheese is browned. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Slice and enjoy!

LASAGNA (TRADITIONAL ITALIAN RECIPE)

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pot, put the olive oil, garlic and parsley over medium high heat. When the garlic begins to brown, increase the heat and add the ground beef. Break up the beef, but keep it rather chunky. Sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp of salt.
• When the beef is beginning to dry up, add the tomatoes and stir well. Add more salt, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for about an hour, stirring from time to time. Taste for salt and add pepper.
• When the sauce is ready, add the torn basil leaves. Remove about a cup (8 oz) of plain sauce (leave the ground beef in the pot and save for the top layer). Refrigerate the meat sauce when cool, or set aside if using right away.
• Melt the butter in a medium pot then add the flour. Keep stirring to cook the flour for at least 5 minutes, but don't let it brown. Pour in a little of the milk, and stir quickly to incorporate.
• Continue stirring and adding milk a little at a time. Once all the milk is mixed into the flour and butter mixture, add more.
• Add more milk each time as the composition gets more sauce-like.
• When all the milk has been added, season with about 1/2 tsp salt, a dash of nutmeg and about 1/4 tsp white pepper. Taste and adjust as needed. Keep a lid on the sauce if not using right away.
• Boil the noodles in plenty of salted water, making sure to keep moving them so they don't stick together. Remove the noodles from the heat 5 minutes BEFORE the instructed time on the box.
• Reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Drain most of the water and then fill the pot with cold water just to cover the noodles. This will stop the pasta from cooking further.
• Put a thin layer of sauce (no meat) on the very bottom of the 9x13 pan.
• Add three pieces of lasagna lengthwise, then top generously with a quarter of the bechamel sauce.
• Next, dollop on the meat sauce, but don't add so much that the lasagna will only be sauce at the end.
• Sprinkle on about a quarter of the mozzarella.
• Then top with more lasagna sheets, however, this time, cut them to 9" strips so that you can place them in the opposite direction. This gives the lasagna structure so that it can hold together when cut. Cut the pieces so that it covers the bottom layer without leaving too much space.
• Repeat with the bechamel, meat sauce and mozzarella another three times so that there are 5 layers of pasta and 4 layers of filling.
• You may or may not have leftover meat sauce, depending on how much sauce you added. However, if you do use it all, take some of the reserved pasta water (about a cup) and rinse the pot with it and add it to the lasagna before the top layer goes on.
• Alternatively, just pour the water directly onto the lasagna. We didn't fully cook the pasta, so it will absorb more liquid as it cooks in the oven.
• The top of the lasagna will have the strips lengthwise, so I usually pull four (I overlap the top layer) of the best looking pieces (which aren't broken or cut) and save them for the top.
• Lastly, sprinkle some grated Parmesan on top of the lasagna before baking.
• Cover with foil (but make sure the foil doesn't touch the lasagna as tomatoes will eat through the foil) and put in a preheated 400 F (200 C) degree oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how crispy you want the top.
• The edges will be bubbly when you remove it from the oven, so be careful. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.

ITALIAN ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions or until tender but still firm.
• Drain, keep warm.
• Meanwhile, to make lasagna sauce, saute ground beef, garlic and onion is a large heavy skillet or cast iron frying pan until beef is done.
• Add sauce, mushrooms, oregano, thyme, basil, wine or 1/4 cup water, touch of pepper and mix well.
• Simmer 45-50 minutes .
• To prepare Zucchini for this recipe, cut in half or cook whole in a large covered pot with 1-2 inches of water.
• Boil gently for about 5 minutes, drain and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.
• Grease a 9" x 13" or larger, baking pan.
• Arrange a first layer of noodles so the ends hang over both sides of the pan.
• These will be folded back-over the top on the final layer.
• Next, add a layer of the cooked zucchini, a layer of lasagna sauce, a layer of mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat.
• For the top layer, fold the ends of the pasta from the first layer over the top and add more sauce.
• Top with parmesan cheese and cover with foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes , uncover and bake until brown, approximately 10 minutes.
• Serve this Italian food with french bread and have additional parmesan cheese at the table.

ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• 2. In a large straight-sided skillet set over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up any large pieces with the back of a spoon, until brown throughout, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until it thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in the oregano and salt. Let cool.
• 3. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin strips (about 1/8 inch thick). Put 5 or 6 zucchini slices, overlapping slightly, in the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Top with 1 cup of the sauce. Dot with 1/4 cup of the ricotta. Repeat the layers twice, alternating the direction of the zucchini. Top with the remaining zucchini and brush the top with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon oil. Dot with the remaining 1/4 cup ricotta and season with the black pepper. Top with the Parmesan cheese.
• 4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the lasagna is bubbling and the top is brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.