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A savory recipe for Zucchini Lasagna made without noodles for a low-carb, keto version of one of our favorite meals! Vegetarian Adaptable and Gluten-free. Video. + 30+ Mouthwatering Zucchini Recipes!
This Zucchini Lasagna is made without noodles or pasta and is a great option for those going the low-carb, keto route. Make this with ground lamb for the best flavor or sub ground beef, Italian sausage, ground turkey, or keep it vegetarian and use a plant-based substitute like soy crumbles, textured vegetable protein, or Beyond Beef! No, it’s not a regular lasagna, but it is OH SO Tasty! It could also be a hearty side dish, perfect for gatherings and potlucks.
Bake the zucchini or grill it beforehand to prevent “watery” lasagna. Ricotta cheese gives this lovely texture but feel free to sub small curd cottage cheese. Use a flavorful tomato sauce or marinara sauce, either store-bought or homemade, to create the robust meat sauce. Fresh Basil adds a lovely brightness.
Zucchini Lasagna Video
Ingredients in Zucchini Lasagna
- Zucchini or summer squash- medium-sized are best; that way they are less “seedy”. We will slice them and make zucchini noodles.
- Ground meat: ground lamb, lean ground beef, ground turkey, ground turkey or a vegan substitute like Beyond Meat, beyond beef crumbles, or soy crumbles.
- Onion, garlic, basil and oregano- fresh is best!
- Marinara sauce – store-bought or homemade
- Cheese: Ricotta cheese (or sub cottage cheese) mozzarella cheese, and pecorino cheese or parmesan cheese
- Egg
- Salt, pepper and nutmeg
How to make Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
Step one: Cut and roast (or grill) the zucchini.
Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch thin slices ( or use a mandolin) and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. You’ll need 16-18 zucchini strips that are 8-9 inches long. Spray or brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 425 oven for 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Alternatively, for added flavor, feel free to grill over medium-high heat until fork-tender.
Step 2: Make the Meat Sauce ( or vegetarian meat sauce).
Saute the onion and garlic.
Add the ground meat. Here I’m using ground lamb which adds such a lovely flavor!
Make sure to drain the fat.
Season the meat with salt, pepper, oregano and stir in marinara sauce, to create a thick bolognese.
Step 3: Make the Riccota Mixture.
In a medium bowl, stir a 15-ounce tub of ricotta, one egg, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg until combined.
Step 4: Assemble the Zucchini Lasagna!
In a greased 9×13 inch baking dish, lightly coat the bottom with a thin layer of marinara sauce.
Place the first layer of roasted zucchini over the sauce, reserving the best-looking pieces for the top.
Pour the meat sauce over top and spread it around evenly.
Spoon the ricotta mixture over top of the meat sauce.
Sprinkle with pecorino cheese.
Place the second (final) layer of roasted zucchini over the ricotta.
Cover with the remaining marinara spread it around, and sprinkle with the remaining pecorino cheese.
Step 5: Foil and Bake the lasagna!
Cover the baking dish with foil, bake at 400F for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 5-10 more minutes until golden and bubbling. It will smell amazing! Let it rest 5-10 minutes, then garnish with fresh basil.
Leftovers can be reheated and will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.
Expert tips:
The key to making this taste amazing is getting the meat sauce really flavorful. Make sure it is well seasoned with salt and pepper. Chili flakes add a nice kick, and if your marinara lacks sweetness, try adding a little tomato paste to the mixture. If going the vegetarian route- same idea- taste after adding the seasonings, adjusting salt, pepper, spice, and sweetness. You want this robust!
Can Zucchini Lasagna be made ahead?
Yes! Zucchini lasagna can be made and assembled ahead- up to 3 days refrigerated and baked the day of serving, or baked ahead and reheated (covered, baked at 35oF for 25-30 minutes). Or bake it ahead and freeze. Let it come to room temp before reheating.
I hope you love this recipe for Zucchini Lasagna as much as we have…. no, it’s not traditional lasagna, but it is just as tasty!
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Zucchini Fritters with Feta and Dill
- Curried Zucchini Soup
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups with Spinach & Basil
- Baked Zucchini Tian
- Zucchini Cakes with Jalapeño and Lime
Zucchini Lasagna (Keto)
- Prep Time: 60
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main, keto, low carb
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A savory recipe for Zucchini Lasagna made without noodles for a low-carb, keto version of one of our favorite meals! Use ground lamb, beef, or try a plant-based “meat”!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2–3 lbs zucchini (3-4 large, 9-inch long- see notes) 16-18 slices, cut to 1/3 inch thick.
- olive oil, or spray olive oil
- salt and pepper
“Meat” Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion
- 4–6 garlic cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- 1 1/2 lbs ground lamb, beef, turkey, or use a vegan substitute like Beyond meat, beyond beef crumbles, soy crumbles
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 3 cups marinara sauce (divided)
- pinch chili flakes (optional)
- 8 basil leaves, torn
Ricotta Mixture:
- 15–16 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 ounces pecorino romano – about 1/2 cup grated (divided)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F
Cook Zucchini: Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. You’ll need 16-18 good slices. See notes. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan, spray or brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in the hot oven, for 20-ish minutes, or until fork-tender. Set aside. Alternatively, you can grill zucchini over medium-high until tender for even more flavor.
Make the Filling: In a large saucepan or skillet, saute the onion, garlic and optional fennel seeds in a little oil, for 1-2 minutes, over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat (or vegan meat) lower heat to medium, and break it apart with a metal spatula, until completely crumbled and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes (vegan meat will take much less time). Drain any of the fat. Return meat to the pan and add salt, pepper, oregano, and 2 cups marinara sauce. Give a good stir, cover and bring to a gentle simmer until heated all the way through. Stir in torn basil leaves. See notes.
Ricotta: Mix the ricotta cheese in a medium bowl with the egg and nutmeg.
Assemble: Grease a 9 x13 inch pan. Pour 1/2 cup of marinara to coat the bottom lightly. Place 8-9 slices of zucchini ( save the prettiest, most uniform ones for the top.) to cover the bottom. Pour the meat sauce over top. Spoon the ricotta mixture over the meat sauce and spread it around. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the grated pecorino cheese, Add the top layer of zucchini. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of marinara over top and spread evenly into a thin layer. Dust with the remaining pecorino.
Bake: Wipe off the edges of the pan, cover with foil and bake at 425F for 20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking, until golden and bubbling, 5-10 more minutes.
Notes
Try to find Zucchini that is slightly longer than the width of your baking pan. For example, if baking in a 9 x13 inch pan, using zucchini that is slightly larger than 9 inches if possible. Also, feel free to use more zucchini than the recipe calls for making each layer thicker if you like.
If you like the flavor of Greek Moussaka, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the meat sauce.
Make sure to taste the meat sauce, make sure it is robust and flavorful, and if it needs sweetness, a little tomato paste will help here.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ slice
- Calories: 457
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 730.2 mg
- Fat: 34.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 14.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.8 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 25.2 g
- Cholesterol: 119.9 mg
Keywords: keto lasagna, zucchini lasagna, keto lasagna zucchini,
Can this recipe be halved or leftovers frozen. We are only two people.
Yes, you could easily half the recipe. I haven’t tried freezing but think it should be ok. 🙂
Would this work without meat? Thinking of adding some Swiss chard finely chopped. My friend doesn’t eat meat. Looks wonderful!
Hi Lois- I think it could work if you used a substitute- either plant based meat substitute or create the lentil bolognese from that post (just type it in the search bar) and use it here?
Great summer meal, the whole family enjoyed. I did cook the zucchini on the grill and it added some great flavor.
Oooo that sounds great!
This dish got rave reviews at family dinner and my husband asked me to make it again as soon as possible. It was an excellent way to make a dent in our zucchini abundance as well as last summer’s harvest tomato sauce. I used chicken sausage and added 1 pound of mushrooms to the meat sauce and a large handful of lightly sautéed then chopped spinach to the ricotta mixture. Mine was too runny, but I assume that was because I used 4 cups of tomato sauce rather than three.
Great to hear Karen! I bet that extra cup of tomato sauce was it. Or just make sure to cook down all the liquid in the filling (or drain) before assembling.
I forgot to rate this- definitely 5 star!
★★★★★
Appreciate this Karen!
Made this dish using ground, dark meat chicken and it was fantastic. The chili flakes are a must. Next time I will add 1T of tomato paste to add a bit of depth to the sauce.
Great Nina! Glad you liked it!
This looks lovely. Could I air-fry the zucchini instead of roasting or grilling it? Thank you!
Totally!
can this be made the day before and then baked the next day
Yes, absolutely Nina!
This is my new favorite dish.
Made it three times in just three weeks and it is spot on the perfect lasagna, that can also be adapted for almost any diet restrictions🙏👍❤️
So great to hear!
Delicious
★★★★★
Thanks so much!