Zucchini Lasagna

                                             (Not pictured: eggs, flour and spaghetti sauce.)

           This recipe is pretty easy. It requires a good bit of prep work but it only takes about 60 minutes from start to finish. It's also low-carb and has much less calories than your traditional lasagna.


Ingredients:                                                         

• 3 medium sized zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick (This part is a bit difficult but save your "ugly" slices for the first layer of your lasagna.)
• 1 lb lean ground turkey (You can use lean ground beef if you aren't a fan of turkey.) 
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 small tomatoes, cut up
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 15 oz low fat ricotta (I used part skim ricotta. You could also use cottage cheese instead.)
• 2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded (I use 8 oz. divided. You can use any shredded Italian cheese mix if you cant find mozzarella.)
• 1 tsp flour
• Italian seasoning (This is an easy/cheaper way to season your Italian dishes.)
• salt/pepper/garlic
• 1/2 a jar of spaghetti sauce (I use this because the original recipe doesn't call for it and you will not have enough sauce, However I will use it every time from now on for a little extra zing! You could JUST use this jar of sauce but I actually really enjoyed the fresh tomato verses soggy jarred ones. Ha!)

Directions:

Saute zucchini in olive oil until tender, season with salt, pepper and garlic and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and italian seasoning. Add tomatoes, paste, water and 1/2 a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce. I like Bertolli's spicy italian.

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 10 minutes.

In small bowl slightly beat egg.

Add ricotta cheese, bag of shredded cheese and flour.

In a 9x13 casserole dish (sprayed with Pam) arrange half of the meat mixture. Top a 1/3 of all the cheese mixture, then a layer of 1/2 the zucchini. Repeat leaving the last 1/3 of the cheese mixture out.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Spread remaining cheese mixture. Bake 10 minutes longer.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Tah- Dah!!

P.S. This was even MORE delicious the next day!

-Natalie