Welcome back! Hope you all are enjoying the week and that it hasn’t gotten too crazy. We are officially on the home stretch before Christmas. In between getting all the presents ready, planning a weekend of travel, and packing, it’s been a challenge to meal prep. I’ve been struggling to keep up with the breakfast, lunch, and dinner prep. There isn’t enough time in the day.
But there we only have a few more days left in the work week. I can make and so can you! We needed something that could double duty for lunch or dinner. In addition, we needed to get more than one or two extra meals out of it. What better than some good old lasagna!
It doesn’t get much better than that. Plus, the hubby likes just about anything covered in meat sauce and I like leftovers. With the holiday feasts just on the horizon, I wanted to lighten it up. I might be hitting the gym pretty regularly, but that’s not always enough to beat the bloat. You bet I don’t want that pasta bloat to be the downfall of my holiday ensemble. A bloated belly is no good for a pencil skirt!
This brings me to my Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna. If you haven’t heard, zucchini makes a great low-carb alternative for pasta. The flavor is mild and the texture is soft. It’s the perfect foundation for your favorite sauce. Let’s be real, we usually aren’t eating plain pasta. We eat pasta because it’s the perfect sauce transporter. I love the sauce! So if zucchini works the same, why not!? You won’t even notice it sandwiched between the creamy ricotta and savory meat sauce.
While I noted this in the recipe, it’s super important to let your sliced zucchini sweat. If you skip this step, you’ll end up with a watery lasagna. For goodness’ sake, do not water down the sauce! Let that zucchini sweat for the perfect, low-carb zucchini lasagna.
So let’s get cooking one last normal meal before Christmas! Throwing this together for your weeknight dinner? Be sure to let me know by tagging a photo #stephanieleenutrition on Instagram. I’d love to see what you all cook up. Happy eating, xo!
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 3-4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise (1/8-1/4 inch thick)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 - 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 24 ounce jar pasta sauce (I like the Newman's brand)
- 1 14.5 ounce can low sodium diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 32 ounce container ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 egg whites
- 3-4 handfuls fresh spinach
Ingredients
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|
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Allow the zucchini to "sweat" by placing in a collander. Generously coat zucchini with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Do NOT skip this step. Rinse zucchini with cold water. Dry between paper towel and lightly press to release excess water.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in ground turkey, onion and garlic, stirring occasionally. Cook until no longer pink. Add in pasta sauce and diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt/pepper. Remove from heat to cool.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add ricotta, half of the mozzarella, parmesan, and egg whites. Stir to combine. Fold in spinach and add salt and pepper as necessary.
- In a large 9x13 baking dish start layering. Start with meat sauce on the bottom, followed by zucchini slices, and then the ricotta mixture. Repeat until pan is full, ending with the meat sauce on top. This should make approximately 2-3 layers.
- Top the lasagna with remaining shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle with additional Italian seasoning if desired. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes uncovered.
