This low-carb zucchini lasagna recipe is a guilt-free take on the classic comfort food.
Make this low carb lasagna with slices of fresh zucchini and creamy ricotta cheese layered in a zesty meat sauce and topped with loads of melty mozzarella cheese.
Holly’s Low-Carb Lasagna Highlights
- Flavor: This recipe checks all the boxes on flavor! With ground beef and spicy Italian sausage, savory ricotta and parmesan, a generously seasoned sauce, and a crown of golden brown melted mozzarella – what’s not to love?
- Prep Note: No noodle lasagna is perfect for making ahead and enjoying all week long.
- Recommended Tools: A mandoline is a must-have for getting perfectly uniform, thin zucchini strips. But a good, sharp knife and a steady hand will do the trick, too!
- Budget Tip: Using small curd cottage cheese is more economical than using ricotta and tastes just as good. Drain some of the liquid to prevent the lasagna from becoming too soupy.
- Swaps: Make a version using eggplant or replace the meat with other keto-friendly veggies like sliced mushrooms, chopped kale, or shredded Brussels sprouts.
Zucchini Lasagna Lineup
- Zucchini: Look for firm and fresh zucchini of a uniform size, and don’t peel them. While this is a good recipe for using large garden zucchini, they could have bitter peels and tough seeds, so use your judgment. You can peel them or scoop out the seeds, but give ’em a taste before proceeding! Use the excess to make zoodles.
- Sausage: The combination of ground beef and Italian pork sausage (hot, sweet, or mild) yields an extra juicy lasagna with tons of savory flavor. Feel free to use ground chicken, turkey, or a combination.
- Sauce: Pasta sauce and diced tomatoes create the best balance of flavor and texture. Choose your favorite low-carb pasta or marinara sauce along with the Italian seasonings.
- Cheese: The egg is needed as a binder for the cheeses, spinach, and nutmeg layer. Mozzarella can be switched out for Monterey Jack, cheddar, or a Mexican blend.
Carb-Clever Variations
Zucchini and lasagna go hand in hand! Try making zucchini lasagna roll-ups or boats for individual servings that are great for workday lunches.
How To Make Zucchini Lasagna
- Slice: Thinly slice zucchini and pre-bake (full recipe & instructions below).
- Cook: In a large frying pan or pot, cook the meat sauce.
- Mix: In a bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, egg, spinach, and nutmeg.
- Layer: In a casserole dish, layer the ingredients and bake, then top with mozzarella cheese and bake until bubbly.
Tips for Layered Success
- Slice the zucchini thin, about 1/4 inch thick, for perfect squash noodles.
- Pre-baking the zucchini strips will reduce moisture and ensure the layers hold together.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for about 15 minutes after baking to let the layers set up before slicing.
- Be sure to drain fat from the meat mixture before adding the garlic.
- It’s okay if any of the zucchini slices tear. Simply patch them together in the layers, and no one will know.
- Make ahead zucchini lasagna is freezer-friendly. Assemble and freeze, or bake, cool, and freeze.
Lasting Layers
Keep leftover zucchini lasagna covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven covered with foil until heated through. Add extra cheese and broil for a few minutes to restore that cheesy brown topping.
You can freeze the lasagna either baked or assembled. Freeze in a disposable foil pan, or cover and freeze in the casserole dish. When solid, remove from the dish, tightly wrap in at least two layers of plastic film, or one layer of foil and one of plastic, and return to the freezer for up to 3 months.
Lasagna Inspirations
Did you try this Zucchini Lasagna Recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds zucchini about 3 medium zucchini
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground Italian sausage or ground beef
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 small onion
- 24 ounces pasta sauce divided
- 1 (14.5 ounce can) petite diced tomatoes drained
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 ounces cooked spinach chopped, drained
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut the tops off the zucchini and use a mandoline or sharp knife to cut them lengthwise into ¼-inch thick slices.
- Lay zucchini in a single layer on parchment-lined baking pans and season with salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes to soften. Set zucchini aside and reduce oven to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the ground beef, sausage, and onion over medium-high heat. Drain any fat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Stir in 1 ½ cups pasta sauce, drained diced tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, egg, spinach, parmesan cheese, and nutmeg.
- Spread ¾ cup pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Layer a quarter of the zucchini slices, followed by half of the meat sauce, zucchini, all of the ricotta mixture, zucchini, the remaining meat sauce, and the remaining zucchini. Top with remaining ¾ cup pasta sauce.
- Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Top with mozzarella cheese and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Broil for 2-3 minutes if desired.
- Let lasagna rest for 15 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- Pork, chicken, turkey, or more ground beef can be used in place of the Italian sausage if desired.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw frozen lasagna in the refrigerator, then place in an oven-safe dish. Cover with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil, top with freshly grated mozzarella and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until melted and golden.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Above recipe only calls for one zucchini. Is this correct?
Thank you
Yes, this recipe calls for 1 zucchini.
We’ve made this twice, now, and we love it. I’m wondering if the one zucchini is if it’s those really large ones. I find I need about 4 of the smallish ones from the grocery store. I also found that salting the zucchini before cooking it gave the dish an overall tastier flavor. Otherwise, the zucchini tasted bland even with all of the other ingredients. I made no other changes, and it was delicious. My husband is on a low-carb diet, so finding tasty, satisfying dishes for him has been key to his success. Thank for sharing!
It was a large zucchini Sandi! Glad you were able to find some that worked for you! Great addition, glad you and your husband can both enjoy this tasty recipe!
So easy to make and tasty! Will be making again and again! Thanks!
So happy to hear that Cynthia!
Like!!
One my favorites, my family loved it. Will make this again
So happy to hear that, Marjorie!
Great recipe. Though if you are buying regular grocery store zucchini you will need about four of them. I also ended up using a full 24 oz jar of roasted garlic spaghetti sauce and the full 10 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Claire. My garden zucchini definitely outgrow grocery store zucchini too!