February 4 2019 recipe by Anne Aobadia![Anne Aobadia]()
, photo by Emma Shevtzoff![Emma Shevtzoff]()
, nutritional review by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE![Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE]()
in Recipes, Dinner, Meal
, photo by Emma Shevtzoff
, nutritional review by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE
in Recipes, Dinner, Meal Keto zucchini lasagna
A traditional Italian classic concocted in an untraditional low carb way. Once you whip up this cheese sauce with juicy ground meat and zucchini, you won't think about the original carb-packed version... ever...again!
USMetric
servingservings
Ingredients
Zucchini sheets
- 14 oz. 400 g zucchini, finely sliced
Meat sauce
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 (4 oz.) 1 (110 g) yellow onion, finely choppedyellow onions, finely chopped
- 2 2 garlic clove, finely choppedgarlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1½ lbs 650 g ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp 3 tbsp water
Cheese sauce
- 1½ cups 350 ml heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups (8 oz.) 475 ml (230 g) shredded cheese, divided
- 1 1 garlic clove, mincedgarlic cloves, minced
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
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Making low carb simple
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and set aside a baking dish that is about 10 x 8” (25 x 20 cm).
- Thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise with a mandolin or a vegetable peeler. Lay the zucchini slices on paper towels and lightly sprinkle them with salt. Rest for 10 minutes and then pat with paper towels. Meanwhile, prepare the meat sauce.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft. Add the ground meat, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir together and cook until lightly browned.
- Stir in the tomato paste and water until well combined. Reduce the temperature to medium-low, and simmer for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the cream, half of the shredded cheese, and the garlic to a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and once bubbling, reduce the temperature to medium-low. Simmer for about 5 minutes while stirring continuously or until the sauce has thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the lasagna by spreading about 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with some of the cheese sauce and then cover with zucchini slices on top, in a single layer. Repeat the layers and finish by sprinkling the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving to let it set. Serve the lasagna as it is or together with a fresh salad drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Tip
If you want to make sure that the lasagna will hold its shape when cutting it into squares it helps to let it rest for up to 30 minutes after you take it out from the oven.
This recipe is great for meal prepping and freezing.
Any cheese that will melt well will work. Mozzarella would be a great option.
Salt the zucchini noodles on both sides and let them rest for 10 minutes then blot the zucchini on both sides with kitchen towel. To dry them out more bake the zucchini on an oven tray for 15 minutes at 400°F / 200°C. Then layer as above!
Using this method worked a treat.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
I have made this and eliminated the zucchini completely and it is fantastic!
As heavy cream is a liquid, it may be best to try unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened coconut milk as a substitute.
Thanks so much for your feedback. We've listened, re-tested this recipe, and improved it. We hope once you try it again yourself, you'll notice the difference — and love it as much as we do.
Happy cooking!
/The recipe team
P.S. To keep the comments section up-to-date, we've gone ahead and removed any comments regarding the now-resolved issues. Thanks!
Thank you for your comments and feedback, Jacolyn!
I sliced the Zucchini with my good old cheese slicer. Worked fine. Used a clean kitchen towel instead of paper towel. Worked fine!
When you read the recipe it seems like a lot of work but it wasn't bad. While the lasagna was in the oven I cleaned up the kitchen, and done-done!
It's always a nice surprise when you find a recipe to be easier than you fear it may be. I'm glad you enjoyed this!
So glad you both enjoyed it!
in lasagna is tomatoes, meat, pasta and cheese. I'm an Italian cook.
Most dishes like this turn out well when baked and then frozen.
Thank you for your feedback! It works best if you thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise with a mandolin or a vegetable peeler.
If covered, it should be safe to bake for at least 24 - 48 hours.
This will depend on how many servings you choose to make. The default number of servings is 6, so you would divide the recipe into 6 equal amounts (as close as you can).
Hi, Heidi! The nutritional information is now a DD+ benefit. You can sign up for a free month if you'd like to access it! https://www.dietdoctor.com/new-member
Love that idea! Sounds great!
Great! So glad everyone loved it!
You can certainly have more than one serving if needed, or you could try adding a side, such as a fresh salad!
Thanks, Carole! So glad it worked well, and you all enjoyed it!
Hi, Joy! Generally, it would be best within 2-3 days in the fridge, but this also freezes well!
There isn't necessarily a good direct substitute for tomato sauce in a traditional lasagna. If you have an aversion to tomatoes or can't eat them, you may try an entirely different lasagna like an alfredo based/white sauce lasagna.