I'm continuing with my Meatless Monday meals - which will be a challenge since I'm cutting out wheat/gluten for the next 30 days. There don't seem to be many options that are meat-free and don't involve some sort of pasta or sandwich, or even mushrooms which Steve will absolutely NOT eat. I had pinned a recipe for Zucchini Lasagna a while back and decided that it was the perfect (ok, would've been better without the dairy, but I can't always win) Meatless Monday meal for someone who was wheat free. I actually an "mmmm" out of Steve as soon as it hit his mouth - #winnnninnng! He teased when I asked if I could make it again that I probably wouldn't because that's usually what happens - but that he would gladly eat it again! He even took leftovers for lunch! Yaaahooo! So proud of how adventurous he has become!
Sadly, I got a new phone and when I backed up my old phone and restored it to my new...all the pictures I have taken over the course of the week, including this meal, were lost. Its a too bad too because I had some great pictures so I'll have to improvise and you'll have to use your imagination, or look at the original recipe for some yummy visuals.
Zucchini Lasagna
Adapted from Skinny Taste
1 LB Sweet Turkey Italian Sausage (since it was meatless Monday, I omitted this but would use it next time)
3 Medium Zucchini's sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 Cloves Garlic, diced
Salt and Pepper
1/2 Medium Onion, diced
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 jar of favorite red sauce, OR 24 oz crushed tomatoes
15 OZ Fat Free Ricotta
16 OZ Part Skim Mozzarella, shredded
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 TBSP fresh basil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice zucchini and layer on paper towel, sprinkle with salt and allow to set for 10 minutes. The salt helps extract the water from the zucchini helping it to cook up without watering down the dish. Meanwhile, add olive oil and saute the onions and garlic. Add sauce and fresh basil and continue to cook until heated through. If you chose to add the crush tomatoes, allow to simmer for 30 -40 minutes or until the sauce thickens. In bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, parmesan and Italian seasoning until blended. Add salt, garlic and pepper to taste. Grill or pan fry the zucchini until slightly browned on each side. Add sauce to the bottom of a 9 X 11 inch pan, layer zucchini, ricotta mixture, shredded mozzarella and then sauce (remember, you are trying to get 3 layers so layer wisely!). Repeat until all ingredients are used, having the last layer be sauce and then cheese. Bake covered for 40 minutes at 370 degrees, remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese has melted. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.
I was anxious to try this out and made the mistake of cutting it without letting it sit too long and it just slid around and made a less than picturesque pile on my plate. When we went for second helpings, it cut and removed much nicer!
The flavors and textures all worked together perfectly. In fact, since I'm giving up wheat, Steve was concerned that there was pasta in the lasagna. It took some convincing that this was strictly made with veggies. Next time I make this I think I'll also slice some eggplant and layer that with the zucchini. I enjoyed it so much that I even opted to have a small leftover piece with an egg in the morning - got my veggies and my protein in!
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