December 19, 2014
Food To Be Fit: Zucchini Lasagna!
WARNING: This is extremely delicious!!!
I have an unwavering love for pasta. Any kind. You know, because pasta is on my nutrition plan. NOT.
Spaghetti. Penne. Gnocchi. Cream Sauce. Puttanesca. Meat Sauce. Butter.
Anyways - as we all know, pasta is every carb-lovers dream meal & the meal most likely to knock us into pasta comas. SO, this Zucchini Lasagna dish is not only lower-carb & gluten-free, but it is filled with vegetables that will keep you feeling energized!
Ingredients:
1. In a large pan, sauté minced garlic in olive oil until fragrant.
2. Add in the chopped sweet onion and cook until soft and translucent.
3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, and mixed herbs.
4. Cook for 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened.
Tip: Using a mandoline is a must. Slicing the Zucchini thin is what gives it that pasta texture. I have found that grilling the Zucchini first decreases the amount of liquid in the casserole dish. This is important because nobody likes a watery lasagna.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- 3 large zucchini, sliced
- 1 Spanish onion (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- ** 3 ½ cups pasta sauce (see below, and pre-make)
- 2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Cook beef in a pot with the chopped onion and garlic cloves. Season with salt & pepper.
- When finished cooking, drain to remove the fat.
- Pour in pasta sauce and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Using a mandolin, slice zucchini, lightly salt and set aside. Blot zucchini to soak up any liquid it has “sweat out”.
- Grill zucchini on each side, until 2 minutes per side.
- Mix Parmesan cheese and egg in a small bowl.
- Using a casserole dish spread some sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer zucchini to cover. Place some cheese mixture on top, followed by the mozzarella cheese. Repeat until you have used up your ingredients and have many layers.
- Top with extra sauce and mozzarella.
- Cover with tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes, then remove tinfoil and bake for 15 more minutes.
**Pasta Sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small sweet onion
- fresh basil
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano are my favourite)
- 1 tsp each - mixed herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano)
- sea salt & pepper to taste
1. In a large pan, sauté minced garlic in olive oil until fragrant.
2. Add in the chopped sweet onion and cook until soft and translucent.
3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, and mixed herbs.
4. Cook for 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened.