Zucchini Lasagna

I had seen this Skinnytaste recipe floating around Pinterest for a while. Then my friend Hannah tried it & posted it on her blog. So I made it for my Mom's birthday!

Prepping the zucchini is pretty time consuming though. You slice it thin with your mandoline, then you have to salt it, let the moisture release, blot with paper towels, broil/grill it to release more moisture. Blot with more paper towels, etc. I had 3 trays of sliced zucchini to do that to, so it took a while. I also went through quite a few paper towels. So this wouldn't be a during-the-school-year recipe, but it is VERY TASTY.

Will had so much he fell asleep right after everyone left. I mean within 3 minutes. & it's true - you really won't miss the noodles!

1 lb lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 large zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick
15 oz part-skim ricotta
16 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded
1 large egg

In a medium sauce pan, brown meat and season with salt. When cooked, drain in colander to remove any fat. Add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions about 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for at least 30-40 minutes, covered. Do not add extra water, the sauce should be thick. (I actually used some homemade tomato sauce my mom had given me instead of crushed tomatoes).

Meanwhile, slice zucchini into 1/8" thick slices, add salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel. Broil zucchini slices for 2-3 minutes on each side to release more moisture. Dry on paper towels, and squeeze out more water! Ok, now you're ready.

Preheat oven to 375°. In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg. Stir well. In a 9x12 casserole dish spread some sauce on the bottom and layer the zucchini to cover. Then place some of the ricotta cheese mixture on the zucchini, then top with the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up. Top with sauce and mozzarella and cover with foil.

Bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes. I also boiled mine for a couple minutes to brown the cheese - I am kind of obsessed with my broiler. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.