Zucchini Lasagna
Submitted by azuretiny
Microwave zucchini lasagna with ground beef, cottage cheese, and shredded mozzarella. A low-carb pasta-free lasagna that uses zucchini slices as the noodles and cooks in 30 minutes.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minSwapping pasta for zucchini is the trick that turns lasagna into a low-carb weeknight dinner. The squash slices play noodle while still holding the layers together under all that cheese and meat sauce.
The microwave method here is the speed play. Instead of an hour in the oven, the whole dish builds and cooks in about 30 minutes start to finish. The downside is no browned cheese top, the upside is no heating up the kitchen on a hot summer night.
Draining the zucchini after pre-cooking is a must, not a step to skip. Squash carries serious moisture and a wet base means a soupy lasagna that won’t slice. Pat the slices with paper towels after the first cook.
Bread crumbs sprinkled between layers are the secret weapon. They soak up any excess liquid the zucchini releases as it sits, keeping the ground beef layers tight and the slices clean.
Cottage cheese stands in for ricotta to keep things lighter, but use whole milk if you can find it. Low-fat cottage breaks down and weeps, full-fat keeps its body.
Kitchen Tips
- Slice zucchini lengthwise into long planks rather than rounds. They imitate noodles better and stack neatly.
- Salt the zucchini slices and let drain in a colander for 15 minutes before cooking to pull out excess water.
- Let the lasagna stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Cutting too early gives you a runny mess.
- Reheats well in the microwave next day, the flavors deepen overnight.
Variations
- Add a layer of sliced mushrooms with the meat for earthy depth.
- Stir a tablespoon of pesto into the cottage cheese mixture for a herbal kick.
- Use Italian sausage instead of ground beef for a spicier, fennel-tinged version.
Ingredients
Directions
Place zucchini in 2-quart casserole.
Cook, covered, on HIGH (full power) for 7 to 10 minutes or until zucchini is thoroughly cooked.
Stir halfway through.
Drain, set aside.
Place ground beef in 1 quart casserole, cook on high (full power) for 4 to 5½ min or until beef is no longer pink.
Stir halfway through.
Drain.
Add tomato paste, basil, oregano, garlic powder and salt to beef.
Set aside.
Combine cottage cheese and egg in small bowl.
Layer half of zucchini, bread crumbs, meat mixture, cheese mixture, and mozzerella cheese in 8 x 8 x 2 inch dish.
Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, reserving last mozzerella cheese layer.
Cover loosely with heavy-duty plastic wrap.
Cook covered, on High(full power) for 7 to 10 minutes or until heated though.
Sprinkle remaining Mozzerella cheese over lasagna.
Let stand 3 to 5 min or until melted.
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