Gluten Free Zucchini Lasagna

This Lasagna is really tasty and you can hardly tell it is not made with pasta.  The trick is the zucchini!  It is basically a tasteless veggie and takes on the flavor of what you cook it with, (like tofu but better!)  The only problem with this vegetable, is it creates a TON of water when cooked.  But its hardly a reason to NOT make this recipe!

Here is what you will need:  4 zucchini, 1 lb LEAN beef, 3 garlic cloves chopped, 1/2 purple onion diced, 1 T. olive oil, salt and pepper, 2 T. fresh basil chopped, 15 oz skim ricotta, 16 oz mozzarella cheese shredded, 1/4 cup Parmigiano, 1 egg slightly beaten, 1 28oz jar of Prego spaghetti sauce (or sauce of your choice)and 4 oz of fresh mozzarella for the top :)

First, things first.  Peel your zucchini, and then thinly slice it long ways to substitute for you pasta. I am not big on kitchen gadgets, and do not have a mandolin for slicing; so I cut them with my knife like my grandmother would have!  They were perfect. 

I think young cooks tend to over season their meals, masking the natural tastes. You cannot go wrong with a nice freshly ground pepper, sea salt and a few fresh leaves. 

After you get your zucchini sliced, lay it out on a non stick cookie sheet, lightly salt, and put it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  It will help with some of the water later on as it cooks in your lasagna.  

While your zucchini is in the oven, brown your hamburger meat, drain, and add salt and pepper and set aside.  In the same pan, add olive oil on a medium heat to saute your garlic and onion for about 2 minutes.  Add your drained meat back to the pan with the garlic and onion along with your Prego sauce. You may not want to add the whole jar because you want it to be thick.  Simmer to heat throughout.  Take out your zucchini if you have not already;  and lay it out on a nice clean kitchen towel to soak up any water.  

While your sauce is simmering, grate your fresh cheese and set aside.  I just spent 2 weeks in Italy and their mozzarella is the BEST. But this brand is made in Wisconsin and I find it to be very similar. In the grocery store your fresh cheeses are not going to be with the pre-shredded bags but in or near your deli. 

In a bowl mix your ricotta, basil, salt and pepper to taste, egg, parmesan, only 10 oz of shredded cheese (not fresh), & mix together well.  So: you have your meat mixture in your pan, your zucchini on a towel, your bowl of cheeses, and your fresh mozzarella plus 6 oz of pre-shredded cheese.  Now to layer for some yumminess.  (yes it's a word) 

1.  Lay down a layer of zucchini
2.  Top with meat sauce mixture
3. Top sauce with cheese mixture and repeat 
4.  If you have a large pan you may only get one layer, no problem! 
If not, repeat 1-3
5.  Last, top with all of your fresh mozzarella plus the 6oz of pre-shredded mozzarella

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes COVERED with a pan underneath for spillage.  Then bump heat up to 375 degrees, remove cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.    

Yummy in the oven, don't forget to cover...

Looks so good right?  Well let me give you a hint...take it out and use a spoon around the edges to scoop off some water.  And when I say some, I mean 87 cups!  (remember the name of my blog?....sarcasm) I even cut a piece out, tilted the pan and let it run to the open spot before serving. It  has to cool before serving anyway, so you have time.

I cannot tell you how much my family loved this recipe.  They never noticed the zucchini in place of the pasta until a few bites in because I'm tricky!  I served it with a nice spinach salad and vinaigrette dressing. I even made a loaf of gluten free bread we could have eaten, but they didn't ask and I forgot.  It stood alone well!