Zucchini Lasagna Recipe Epicuriouscom Food

ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and mushrooms and saute until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until it wilts. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile, trim the ends of the zucchini. Using a knife, carefully slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin strips, about 1/16 inch thick. If the zucchini looks watery, lay the slices on paper towels to absorb excess moisture before using.
• Grate the mozzarella cheese and set aside.
• Cut the basil into a chiffonade by stacking the leaves on top of one another, rolling them tightly and then cutting across. Finely chop the parsley. In a medium bowl, combine the herbs, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the eggs, salt and pepper and stir well.
• To assemble the lasagna, place a third of the mushrooms and spinach mixture over the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spoon a layer of marinara on top and cover with half of the zucchini strips, carefully overlapping the edges. Spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture onto the zucchini and spread to distribute evenly. Sprinkle half the mozzarella on top of the cottage cheese mixture. Repeat the process above, layering the mushrooms and spinach, marinara, the remaining zucchini strips, cottage cheese, and mozzarella into the dish. Top with the remaining mushrooms and spinach, followed by a final layer of marinara.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the Parmesan over the top and bake until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Allow to stand for 35 minutes before cutting into squares.

ROASTED ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the zucchini in a single layer on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush both sides of the ribbons with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden. Heat the extra oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and oregano and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Allow to cool slightly. Place the kale and spinach in paper towel or a clean tea towel and squeeze to remove any excess liquid. Roughly chop, add to the onion mixture and stir to combine. Place the ricotta, lemon rind, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine. Line the base of a lightly greased 9x9-inch baking dish with one-third of the roasted zucchini. Top with half the ricotta mixture and half the kale mixture. Sprinkle with one-third of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Top with half the remaining zucchini, and the remaining ricotta and kale mixtures. Sprinkle with half the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Top with the remaining zucchini and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Slice and serve with the baby salad mix.

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.

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.

EASY ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• In large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to boil; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut zucchini into 1/4-in. slices. In small bowl, combine cottage cheese and egg. In a greased 3-qt. baking dish, place half of the zucchini; sprinkle with half of flour. Top with cottage cheese mixture and half the meat mixture. Repeat layer of zucchini and flour.
• Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and remaining meat mixture. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Mix goat cheese, olives, thyme, basil, oregano, and garlic in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce on the bottom of an 8" x 11" baking dish. Add one layer of lasagna and season with black pepper. Add a layer of zucchini, squash, and red pepper. Dollop spoonfuls of goat cheese mixture over vegetables and spread to cover. Repeat layers, finishing with pasta and sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan on top, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 minutes or until top browns. Let stand 10 minutes; serve.

ZUCCHINI AND COUNTRY BREAD LASAGNA

Steps:

• Rinse and dry the zucchini, slice off the stems, and trim the blossom ends. With a sharp long-bladed knife (or a mandoline if you have one) cut very thin lengthwise slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Put them in a large bowl, sprinkle over them the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the 2 tablespoons of oil, and toss to coat the slices with the seasonings.
• Assembling the Lasagna
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°. Cut the crusts off the bread slices. If they are soft and fresh, you can dry the slices briefly in the oven, but don't let them get crisp or brown.
• Butter the bottom and sides of the baking pan generously. Spread a cup of the tomato sauce in a thin layer in the bottom of the pan. Cover the bottom with a single layer of bread slices. Trim the slices and cut them in pieces so they fit close together and lie flat (but you don't have to fill every small crack or hole). Spoon about 2 cups of sauce onto the bread and spread it evenly.
• Make a layer of zucchini (or sautéed eggplant), using half the slices. You can lay them crosswise or lengthwise in the pan, whichever way fits best. Overlap the slices as necessary to make an even layer that completely covers the sauce. Press down gently to condense the lasagna and make more room in the pan, then sprinkle 1 cup of grated cheese evenly over the top.
• Now repeat the layering: Arrange another layer of bread slices and trimmed pieces. Cover the bread with 2 more cups of sauce, spread evenly. Lay out the rest of the zucchini (or eggplant) slices in an overlapping layer. Spread the remaining tomato sauce, about a cup, in a thin layer. Sprinkle another cup of cheese (or more!) in a generous layer over the top of the lasagna.
• Baking the Lasagna
• Cut a sheet of aluminum foil about 2 feet long-preferably from a wide roll of heavy-duty foil. Press the foil so it hugs the sides of the pan and bend it to make a "tent" over the lasagna that doesn't touch the surface anywhere.
• Bake the lasagna covered for about 45 minutes, giving the zucchini plenty of time to cook. Remove the pan from the oven; carefully unfold the foil from the sides of the pan and lift it off completely. Don't get burned by the pan or the steam that is released-keep your face and hands out of the way. And don't let the foil mess up the cheesy topping! (In a glass casserole, you should be able to see the sauce bubbling up around the sides of the pan.)
• Return the lasagna to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is deep golden-brown. Let the casserole settle for a few minutes before serving (it will stay hot for some time). Cut in squares or rectangles of whatever size you like, and lift out individual pieces with an angled spatula.
• The Best Bread For Country Bread Lasagna
• A hearty European-style chewy wheat bread, made with all white or white and whole-grain flour, is best for these savory lasagne. Cut the slices yourself and let them dry a bit. Day-old (or briefly oven-dried) 1/2-inch slices will soak up lots of vegetable juices and give the lasagna a marvelous texture. Don't get a skinny or low loaf with lots of crust, though-like a baguette or ciabatta-since the crust is trimmed away. Instead get a lofty bread-a large round or oval loaf-for big slices with lots of "insides."
• Eggplant and Country Bread Lasagna
• Trim the stem and bottom ends of the eggplants. Peel off all the skin if it is tough, or, with tender eggplant, remove ribbons of peel in a striped pattern (see box, page 254).
• With a sharp chef's knife, cut all the eggplant lengthwise into slices, about 1/3 inch thick. Toss a few slices at a time in the flour (in a large bowl or on a tray) to coat completely on both sides; shake off the excess and pile in another bowl or tray.
• Pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of the canola oil into the skillet and tilt it so the entire bottom is coated with a thin film of oil. Set the pan over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.
• Lay a batch of eggplant slices in the pan with plenty of space between them. You want to brown the pieces quickly, with minimal oil, so keep the heat up but don't let the oil smoke or the vegetables burn. Fry the slices for about 2 minutes, until lightly colored on the underside, then flip them over and fry 2 minutes on the second side. Drain the slices on sheets of paper towel and sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt while hot.
• Brown the remaining floured eggplant in batches, adding oil to the pan as needed. Remove to paper towels and salt them right away, using about 1/2 teaspoon for all the slices.
• Assemble and bake the lasagna as in the main recipe.
• To Salt or Not to Salt the Water
• I always used to boil vegetables in salted water. But recently I started salting certain vegetables after they were cooked, tossing them immediately after draining with medium-coarse salt, while they were still steaming hot, and I found I liked it. Does it make that much difference? Indeed it does. Instead of making a saline solution out of the boiling water that permeates the vegetable throughout, salting later allows the vegetable to retain its pure vegetable flavor, and then the sprinkled salt adds another dimension of flavor by seeping in gently while it is still hot. The vegetables that best respond to this method are string beans, broccoli, and zucchini. But I find it also true of cabbage, beets, chard, and other greens.

LASAGNA

Steps:

• To make the Marinara Sauce: In a food processor, pulse the sun-dried tomatoes until reduced to small pieces. Add the Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, garlic, salt, shallot, olive oil, maple syrup, and lemon juice and process until smooth. Add the basil, oregano, and thyme and pulse for about 4 minutes, or until the herbs are chopped.
• Combine the corn and onion, spread on a dehydrator shelf, and dehydrate at 105°F for 1 hour, or until softened. (This brief drying helps to reduce the harsh flavor of the vegetables.) Set aside until needed.
• Combine the mushrooms, shoyu, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain, cover, and set aside until needed.
• Using a mandoline, cut the zucchini lengthwise into wide, paper-thin slices. Set aside until needed.
• Just before assembling the lasagna, combine the spinach, basil, a pinch of salt, and the remaining two tablespoons olive oil in a bowl and toss to mix.
• To assemble the lasagna: Line a 7 by 3 by 3-inch metal terrine mold with detachable sides with plastic wrap, allowing an overhang on the long sides. Arrange a layer of the zucchini "noodles" in the terrine, covering the bottom and the sides and allowing the noodles to overhang the rim by 2 inches. Layer on top, in the following order: a double layer of mushrooms; half of the Herb Cheese; a layer of spinach 3 leaves deep; half of the Marinara Sauce; half of the corn and onion; a sprinkle of salt and pepper; a double layer of zucchini noodles, one running horizontally and one running vertically; the remaining mushrooms in two layers, the remaining Herb Cheese, a layer of spinach 3 leaves deep, the remaining Marinara Sauce, the remaining corn and onion, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and the remaining spinach leaves in 1 layer. Pull up on the plastic wrap to tighten the sides, then fold over the overhanging pieces of zucchini. Patch with more zucchini as needed to cover fully with a zucchini layer. Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and press down firmly. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Detach the mold sides, remove the plastic-wrapped terrine from the mold, and tighten the plastic wrap by pulling a long edge taut. With the plastic wrap still in place, cut the terrine into 8 slices each a scant 1 inch thick. Carefully remove the plastic wrap from each slice. The layers may shift slightly, but you can easily push them back together.
• To make the Corn Sauce: In a high-speed blender, combine the corn, olive oil, and water and purée until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To make the salad: Combine tomatoes, lettuces, Rawmesan, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl and toss to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place a slice of the terrine just below the center of each plate. Arrange one-fourth of the salad at 12 o'clock. Spoon one-fourth of the Corn Sauce to the right of the terrine slice and drizzle 2 teaspoons Basil Oil over the Corn Sauce. Top with pepper.

CHEESY ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°.
• Spray rectangular baking dish, 11x7x1-1/2 inches with nonstick cooking spray.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
• Mix remaining mozzarella cheese, the zucchini, ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese.
• Spread 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce in prepared baking dish; top with 3 of the noodles.
• Spread half of the cheese mixture over noodles in dish; top with 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce.
• Repeat with 3 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce.
• Arrange remaining 3 noodles on top.
• Sprinkle boiling water over all.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 1 hour or until noodles are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
• Remove from oven; sprinkle with reserved mozzarella.
• Let stand 15 minutes (or longer to get the desired firmness) before cutting.