Italian Zucchini Lasagna Recipes

Steps:

• Cut the ends off of the zucchini, and cut in half, lengthwise.
• Using a vegetable peeler, peel long strips of zucchini (these will be your "noodles") and set on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
• Dab zucchini strips with a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture.
• In a large pot, add olive oil, onions, and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add ground turkey, and cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the turkey has browned slightly.
• Pour in crushed tomatoes, basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, tomato paste, and a bay leaf. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
• In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
• Using a baking dish, layer turkey sauce, zucchini strips, ricotta mixture, and parmesan. Repeat until there are 3 layers total, ending with the turkey sauce and topping that with parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 50 minutes (times and temperatures may vary depending on the oven).
• Let rest for at least 20 minutes.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bechamel sauce:
• In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.
• Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.
• In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Steps:

• Cook and stir ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until the meat is crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain grease and stir basil, oregano, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, tomatoes, and tomato paste into the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer meat sauce for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Mix eggs, ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Pare several slices of skin lengthwise from zucchini, alternating with strips of remaining skin. Cut zucchini into long strips to resemble lasagna noodles. Discard seedy middle strips.
• Place 1/3 of the zucchini strips into bottom of the prepared baking dish, filling in any gaps with scrap pieces of zucchini. Spread half the ricotta mixture over zucchini; spread 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over ricotta mixture; spread 1/3 of the meat sauce over mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once more, layering 1/3 of zucchini strips, remaining half of the ricotta mixture, 1 more cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 of the meat sauce. Make a third layer of remaining zucchini strips, remaining meat sauce, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lasagna is bubbling and top is browned, about 1 hour. If top is browning too quickly, cover dish with aluminum foil during last 15 minutes of baking time. Spread 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top of the casserole and bake until mozzarella cheese topping is melted, 5 to 10 more minutes. Let casserole stand 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Cook zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain fat. Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 10 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups.
• In small bowl slightly beat egg.
• Add cottage cheese, half of shredded cheese and flour.
• In (1 1/2-qt.) baking-roasting pan arrange half of the meat mixture. Top with half of the zucchini and all the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining meat and zucchini.
• Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer.
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions or until tender but still firm.
• Drain, keep warm.
• Meanwhile, to make lasagna sauce, saute ground beef, garlic and onion is a large heavy skillet or cast iron frying pan until beef is done.
• Add sauce, mushrooms, oregano, thyme, basil, wine or 1/4 cup water, touch of pepper and mix well.
• Simmer 45-50 minutes .
• To prepare Zucchini for this recipe, cut in half or cook whole in a large covered pot with 1-2 inches of water.
• Boil gently for about 5 minutes, drain and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.
• Grease a 9" x 13" or larger, baking pan.
• Arrange a first layer of noodles so the ends hang over both sides of the pan.
• These will be folded back-over the top on the final layer.
• Next, add a layer of the cooked zucchini, a layer of lasagna sauce, a layer of mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat.
• For the top layer, fold the ends of the pasta from the first layer over the top and add more sauce.
• Top with parmesan cheese and cover with foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes , uncover and bake until brown, approximately 10 minutes.
• Serve this Italian food with french bread and have additional parmesan cheese at the table.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°.
• Spray rectangular baking dish, 11x7x1-1/2 inches with nonstick cooking spray.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
• Mix remaining mozzarella cheese, the zucchini, ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese.
• Spread 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce in prepared baking dish; top with 3 of the noodles.
• Spread half of the cheese mixture over noodles in dish; top with 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce.
• Repeat with 3 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce.
• Arrange remaining 3 noodles on top.
• Sprinkle boiling water over all.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 1 hour or until noodles are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
• Remove from oven; sprinkle with reserved mozzarella.
• Let stand 15 minutes (or longer to get the desired firmness) before cutting.

Steps:

• Salt zucchini slices on a plate and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes while you dice the rest of the ingredients.
• Heat a large skillet or wide pot over high heat. Add oil, onion, and garlic, and sauté until the onion gets a little brown and becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef, potato, and bell pepper. Cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Layer marinara mixture, zucchini slices, and mozzarella cheese in that order in a casserole dish until you run out of ingredients, ending with mozzarella cheese. Cover.
• Bake in the preheated oven, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking until lasagna is cooked through and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x12-inch baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add zucchini slices; boil for 3 minutes. Drain.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Mix bread crumbs, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and Italian herb seasoning in a bowl.
• Spoon 3 tablespoons tomato sauce into bottom of the prepared baking dish and top with 1/3 of the zucchini slices, 1/3 of the onion-garlic mixture, and 1/3 of the crumb-Parmesan cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice more, starting with 1/2 of remaining tomato sauce and layers of zucchini, onion, and crumb mixture. End with remaining tomato sauce in a layer; sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lasagna begins to bubble, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven's broiler and broil the lasagna until cheese topping is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Let casserole stand for 15 minutes to set before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add flour and reduce heat to low, stirring to form a roux.
• Stir in milk gradually, blending so that sauce is smooth.
• Mix in onion powder, garlic, basil, parsley, oregano, and Parmesan cheese; stir and cook until mixture thickens; season to taste with salt and pepper, then keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, while you prepare lasagna.
• In lasagna pan or 13 x 9 inch baking pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray or wipe with a little oil and a paper towel.
• Spread 3 lasagna noodles across bottom, making sure entire bottom is covered; spread 1/3 of ricotta over noodles.
• Place a layer of mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini over ricotta, and spoon 1/4 of the sauce over the vegetables.
• Repeat the layers 2 more times, topping the last cheese/vegetable layer with noodles (there may be a few noodles left over) and the remaining sauce.
• Cover and bake for 40 minutes; uncover, sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese and bake 10-12 minutes more, or until cheese is just starting to turn golden and lasagna is bubbly.
• Allow to sit 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.