PLEASE NOTE: This is a different recipe below to the photos above. It is now my preference.
Here I made it a little differently one day - looks good! I used my creamy
white cheese sauce. I used the
sauce very sparingly - i.e. I didn't double the sauce. It was mostly layered cheese, meat (tomato cooked into it) and zucchini.
This was really good made both ways! I think the second method is my fave! A little unconventional but really good. See above the last photo for the second and, in my opinion, easiest method. The first way you will need this little trick: normally zucchini lasagna tends to be water-logged thanks to the
enormous amount of water given off by the zucchini. This is a fail-safe method to make this main
course without those problems and without going to any extraordinary lengths to
pre-cook the zucchini and dry it off, etc.
The coconut flour is very absorbent of moisture and that was one of the
secrets. The other was pouring off the
juice from the tomatoes and putting them on top of the casserole instead of
with the meat, however, if I were to make it again, I would blend the tomatoes
with ¼ cup of the tomato juice drained off and add to the meat to make the more
traditional lasagna meat sauce. That
would work perfectly, and I’m typing it up that way, however, the way I did it was
rather pretty and eye-catching with the tomato on top instead.
11/2 lbs lean ground beef (0.680 kg)
14.5
oz can diced tomatoes (411 g mL)
2
tsp basil (10 mL)
11/2
tsp salt (5 mL)
1/2 tsp black pepper (2 mL)
11/2 cups Ricotta cheese (375 mL)
1 egg, fork beaten
21/2
lbs zucchini (1.1 kg)
2 tbsp coconut flour, divided* (30 mL)
(NB - use Bob's Red Mill coconut flour)
(NB - use Bob's Red Mill coconut flour)
2
cups grated Mozzarella cheese (500 mL)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (60 mL)
In large skillet, brown beef; pour off excess fat. Drain
tomatoes and keep 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the liquid and add to
blender along with diced tomatoes; blend. Add tomato
sauce, basil, salt and black pepper to ground beef. Cook briefly until the liquid reduces.
Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4–inch
(0.6 cm) thick slices.
In small bowl, combine Ricotta cheese and egg.
Arrange half zucchini in bottom of 13 x 9-inch (4 L)
pan and sprinkle with half coconut flour. Top with half Ricotta cheese mixture,
half meat sauce and other half Ricotta cheese mixture. Repeat zucchini, remaining coconut flour, and
meat sauce layers. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Top that with 11/2
cups (375 mL) Mozzarella. Bake in
375°F (190°C) oven 40 minutes. Top with
remaining Mozzarella and bake another 20 minutes.
Helpful Hints:
Costco or Price Smart have these really cute small zucchini already
packaged. I think they give off less
liquid than the larger ones. However, this method will still work with regular-sized zucchini. There will be a bit more liquid, but nothing
serious, as this zucchini lasagna was perfect...not much liquid at all. *Coconut flour tends to catch my tummy. Oat flour would work instead. Just use a little less ... maybe 1 to two teaspoons per layer. That should be negligible with regard to carbs.
Yield: 6 very large servings
1
serving
494.7
calories
39.5
g protein
31.3
g fat
4.2 g fiber
9.9
g net carbs
As an
Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Here is my
Amazon store for more of my favorite products: AMAZON
STORE Thank you for your support.