Zucchini Lasagne
Why I Love This Recipe
A pastaless twist on traditional lasagne. Layers of tender, juicy zucchini slices, creamy cheeses, and flavourful sauce bake up beautifully for a hearty & delicious dish.
Ingredients You'll Need
4 Zucchinis
SAUCE
1 Tsp. Unsalted Butter
¼ C EVOO
3 cloves Garlic, crushed and minced
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Carrot, diced
1 stalk Celery, diced
¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tsp. Tomato Paste
796ml can Diced Tomatoes
10 – 15 Basil Leaves on the stalk
½ Tsp. Dried Parsley
STUFFING
540ml can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1 C Ditali Pasta
3 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
½ Tsp. Fresh Thyme
2 Tbsp. EVOO
Sea Salt / Black Pepper
½ C Mozzarella, shredded
¾ C Ricotta Cheese
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan
Directions
Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil on high heat. Add the zucchinis and boil 6 – 8 minutes until they are becoming tender. Strain and set aside.
Refill the pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Season liberally with sea salt and add the Ditali pasta. Cook to Al Dente (about 10 Min), Strain and set aside to cool.
**Save time and work on the sauce while the zucchini /noodles are boiling!**
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Pour in the ¼ C EVOO and add the garlic. Fry 3 minutes stirring often making sure not to brown the garlic. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and red pepper flakes. Season with sea salt and continue frying 6 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and allow 2 minutes of frying before adding the diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil on medium.
Add the fresh basil, dried parsley, and a pinch of sea salt / black pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered 25 minutes until veg are tender. Transfer to a bowl and remove basil. Blend using an Immersion blender and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 F
In a small mixing bowl combine the cannellini beans, ditali pasta, fresh parsley & thyme, and EVOO. Season with sea salt and black pepper and toss together.
Spray a 1 ½ qt. square baking dish with EVOO spray. Begin by ladling sauce to coat the base of the dish. Slice the cooked zucchini into thin slices lengthwise and line the dish with zucchini slices. Sprinkle with mozzarella, fork the ricotta over the zucchini slices, and now coat the layer with the bean/ditali mixture. Place a few dollops of sauce and begin layering with more zucchini. Continue until final layer of zucchini on top.
Ladle a generous scoop of sauce over the top of the dish and spread it around to coat the zucchini. Sprinkle with the remaining Mozzarella and the grated parmesan.
Bake 30 – 35 Minutes until brown on top and nice and bubbly.
Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley.
