Zucchini Lasagna

I found this recipe on Pinterest a few months ago and thought it was such a great idea: instead of using lasagna noodles, you slice zucchini up and use it instead. This makes for a lower carb (gluten-free) lasagna that's loaded with vegetables--and you don't even notice that there isn't any pasta in it (I'm Italian and LOVE me some pasta--but this definitely satisfies any craving). This is a very time-consuming recipe, so be prepared to spend a few hours preparing everything. The leftovers taste just as good as the day it was cooked (and I mean that--I literally never eat leftovers unless its this lasagna). Heck, while you're spending so much time preparing this, might as well make two so that you can divvy the portions out and have leftovers for lunches at work every day; one lasagna makes 8 HEARTY servings that are 345 calories per serving, 17 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 36 grams of protein. That's awesome! Here we go:

Ingredients:
1 lb 93% lean beef (or you can use turkey meat--I did and you cant tell the difference)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp of chopped fresh basil
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick
15 oz part-skim ricotta
16 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (Sargento)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 large egg

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, brown meat and season with salt (I left the salt out; I found it unnecessary with everything else. You can always add salt while eating it). When cooked, drain in colander to remove any fat. Add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions for about 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer on low fo at least 30-40 minutes, covered (or until you're finished preparing the zucchini--which took me forever). Do not add extra water; the sauce should be thick.

Meanwhile, slice zucchini into 1/8" thick slices, lightly salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture off with a paper towel.

On gas grill or grill pan, grill zucchini on each side, until cooked, about 1-2 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to soak up any moisture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese and egg. Stir well.

In a 9x12 casserole, spread some sauce on the bottom and layer the zucchini to cover. Then place some of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all of the ingredients are used up. Top with sauce and mozzarella and cover up with foil.

Bake 45 minutes covered at 375 degrees, then uncovered for 15 minutes. Let stand about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Photo credit: www.skinnytaste.com