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Classic Zucchini Lasagna

Classic zucchini lasagna made with perfectly distinct layers of meat sauce, ricotta, zucchini planks, and golden mozzarella—baked until bubbly. This low carb lasagna swaps noodles for grilled zucchini noodle lasagna planks for an easy baked zucchini lasagna dinner.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Resting 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini planks
  • 4 zucchini Large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks.
  • 1 tsp salt For sweating the zucchini.
Meat sauce
  • 1.5 lb ground beef or Italian sausage Ground beef or Italian sausage.
  • 1 onion Small onion, diced.
  • 4 garlic Cloves, minced.
  • 24 oz marinara sauce One jar.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning Seasoning for the sauce.
Ricotta layer
  • 2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 0.25 cup parmesan Grated.
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley Chopped.
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.
Cheese topping
  • 2.5 cup mozzarella cheese Shredded. Use extra parmesan and fresh basil for serving.
  • 1 extra parmesan For serving.
  • 1 fresh basil For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep zucchini (critical to prevent watery lasagna)
  1. Salt the zucchini planks and let sit for 20 minutes, then pat very dry with paper towels until moisture is removed.
  2. Grill or roast the zucchini planks in a 425°F oven on a sheet pan for 10 minutes to remove more moisture, then set aside.
Make the meat sauce
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Brown the ground beef with the diced onion in a skillet, drain excess fat, then add the garlic, marinara sauce, and Italian seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes.
Mix ricotta layer
  1. Mix ricotta with the egg, parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper until smooth and evenly combined.
Assemble and bake
  1. Assemble in a 9x13 dish by spreading 1/2 cup meat sauce, layering zucchini planks, spreading ricotta, adding more meat sauce, and sprinkling mozzarella; repeat layers, ending with meat sauce and mozzarella on top.
  2. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes at 375°F until golden and bubbly.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting, then serve with extra parmesan and fresh basil.

Notes

To keep the layers crisp and not watery, do not skip the 20-minute salting plus thorough pat-drying after baking. Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Freezing: no (texture of zucchini and cheese layers softens). For a lower-fat option, use part-skim ricotta and lean ground turkey or turkey sausage instead of beef/sausage.