Meatless Monday: Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna (without noodles)

Who needs pasta when there's zucchini!  Weighing in at over four pounds each, we are eating zucchini from our garden eight ways to Sunday.  Tonight we enjoyed a scrumptious lasagna where we substituted sliced zucchini for the pasta.  

 ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS:

SAUCE:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning

FILLING:

1 pound large-curd cottage cheese
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (stuff in the can is fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

VEGETABLES:

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise, 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 pounds mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, dried with paper towels and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon flour (can use rice flour, if following a gluten-free diet)

CHEESE: 

1 pound shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 4 cups)

Four pound zucchinis call for lots of creative cooking ideas.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onions.  Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes.  Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add tomato sauce, capers and measured salt.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat. 

Place zucchini slices in a single layer on 2 cookie sheets, overlapping the slices slightly as needed.  Roast until softened and pliable, about 10 to 15 minutes. Place the baking sheets on wire racks and set aside to cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add half of the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms.  Transfer to bowl.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the artichoke hearts, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and toss to evenly coat.

Add 1 1/4 cups of the sauce to the mushroom-artichoke mixture and toss to evenly coat; set aside.

Spread the remaining tomato sauce in a thin layer over the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

1.  Sprinkle a quarter of the mushroom-artichoke mixture over the sauce in an even layer. 

2.  Evenly place a quarter of the zucchini slices in a single layer over the mixture. 

3.  Spoon a third of the cottage cheese filling evenly over the zucchini and flatten with the back of the spoon. 

4.  Evenly sprinkle a quarter of the mozzarella over the cottage cheese filling.

5.  Make two more layers of the mushroom/artichoke mixture, zucchini slices, cottage cheese filling and mozzarella.  

6.  Make a final layer with the remaining zucchini slices, then the mushroom/artichoke mixture and finally the mozzarella (changing the order keeps the zucchini from burning under the cheese).

Bake uncovered until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the top is browned, about 40 minutes.  Remove the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.  Enjoy!

Click HERE for all of my Meatless Monday recipes.

~Merrill ♥