Garden Fresh Zucchini Lasagna

This delicious garden fresh zucchini lasagna is made with thin slices of zucchini instead of pasta noodles. It is a gluten-free alternative with all the flavor of the traditional version. Also freezer friendly for make ahead meals.

I am elated when I am able to make a meal that incorporates so many home-grown ingredients.

The zucchini is from the garden along with the onions, garlic, and parsley. The eggs are from our flock of hens. Even the sausage and cheeses came from a farm store nearby. A leafy green garden salad with Italian salad dressing and homemade bread rounded out this meal.

I missed harvesting fresh zucchini from the garden last year. Our neighborhood deer saw to it that I was only to have a few zucchini before they nibbled the plants down to nothing. This year, the plants are under protection of hoops and deer netting. I also doubled the amount of plants I normally grow just in case. I have big plans for preserving zucchini this year.

One of my favorite ways to use zucchini is to make zucchini lasagna with homemade tomato sauce. Often times, I make a double batch and freeze the extras. It is worth the effort to assemble several lasagna casseroles at one time and store the extra in the freezer for a future easy dinner.

Check out how easy it is to make your own tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes. Get the recipe for Fresh Summer Tomato Sauce.

How to Make Zucchini Lasagna

Slice your zucchini thin. Rinse and slice the zucchini into 1/8-inch strips (about 3 mm) using a knife, mandolin, or vegetable peeler. Pat the zucchini dry with a clean towel and set aside. If you are using a knife to slice the zucchini. Cut off a portion to stabilize the zucchini and stop it from rolling. Then slice it carefully into thin strips.

Prepare your meat sauce: In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the onion until it is tender. Add the garlic and sausage and cook it until the sausage is no longer pink. Add the tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer sauce for 15 minutes or longer.

Blend your cheeses: Combine ricotta, Parmesan, half of the mozzarella, eggs, and parsley.

Start layering your lasagna: Ladle your meat sauce and spread to cover bottom of your lasagna pan. Layer the sliced zucchini over the sauce overlapping the edges slightly. Layer the cheese mixture, and follow with a layer meat sauce. Repeat layering until the pan is full. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with the reserved parsley.

Bake until done and let the zucchini lasagna rest for a while before slicing.  Serve and enjoy.

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Garden Fresh Zucchini Lasagna

Prep Time

35 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 15 mins

Total Time

1 hr 50 mins

 

Thinly sliced zucchini is layered with homemade tomato sauce, sausage, and three cheeses in this version of a much-loved comfort food.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 12

Calories: 232 kcal

Author: Grow a Good Life

Ingredients

• 3 medium zucchini
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage optional
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 4 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese grated
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse and slice the zucchini into 1/8-inch strips (about 3 mm) using a knife, mandolin, or vegetable peeler. Pat the zucchini dry with a clean towel and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the onion until it is tender. 

3. Add the garlic and sausage and cook it until the sausage is no longer pink. Add the tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer sauce for 15 minutes or longer.

4. In a medium bowl combine ricotta, Parmesan, half of the mozzarella, and eggs. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of parsley to sprinkle on top of the lasagna, and add the rest to the bowl. Mix well and set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F.

6. Ladle sauce to cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Layer the sliced zucchini over the sauce overlapping the edges slightly. Layer the cheese mixture, and follow with a layer meat sauce. 

7. Repeat layering until the pan is full. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with the reserved parsley.

8. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. Remove the zucchini lasagna from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes to set before cutting. Serve and enjoy.

To Prepare and Freeze Zucchini Lasagna:

Prepare and cook the zucchini lasagna as described above. Once the lasagna has cooled, cut and place into freezer containers or freezer zipper bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw the frozen zucchini lasagna overnight in the refrigerator before warming. Remove from the freezer container and place it in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. Let it stand for 15 minutes to set before cutting.

You May Also Like:

• Auntie’s Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi
• Homemade Egg Noodles
• Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Home Canning
• Cheddar Bacon Potato Skins
• Zucchini Garlic Bites
• How to Grow Zucchini in Small Spaces

Good planning is key to a successful vegetable garden

Whether you are new to growing your own food or have been growing a vegetable garden for years, you will benefit from some planning each year. You will find everything you need to organize and plan your vegetable garden in my PDF eBook, Grow a Good Life Guide to Planning Your Vegetable Garden.