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1/4 cup chopped – parsley, fresh
Zucchini is very watery, so do go through the extra step of grilling the slices before assembling the dish. Grilling will help dry them off and remove some of the water. Otherwise, they will release their water into the lasagna as it bakes.
What sauce to use in zucchini lasagna?
Needless to say, the flavor of your lasagna will greatly depend on the marinara sauce you use. I always use sugar-free pasta sauce, and my favorite is Rao’s. It has a clean list of ingredients and the spicy Arrabbiata sauce is wonderful.
Leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers.
*Wash and cut zucchini into very thin strips. Line a colander with paper towels and place it in the sink. Place zucchini into the colander and salt generously. Allow zucchini strips to sweat for 30 minutes.
*Dice onion and red bell pepper (enough for 1/2 cup), grate carrots (enough for 1/2 cup), and mince garlic.
*Pre-heat oven to 350* F and grease a 9×13 inch pan.
*In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef until cooked completely, making sure to chop into small pieces as you go. Remove beef onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
*Remove most of the remaining fat from the skillet, place back on the stove, and saute the onion, pepper, carrot, and garlic until the onion is translucent.
*Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, spices, and the cooked ground beef back into the skillet. Bring to a simmer, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
*Meanwhile, mix cottage cheese, egg, and parmesan in a small bowl.
*Once the zucchini have sweat for 30 minutes, wipe clean and dry with a clean cloth. Place one layer of zucchini strips on the bottom of the greased pan.
*On top of the zucchini, spread half of the tomato-beef sauce. Then spread a layer of half of the cottage cheese mixture. Then sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once more: zucchini, sauce, cottage cheese, mozzarella.
*Place in the oven for 20 minutes at 350* F, then turn the oven to broil and crack the oven door. Allow the top of the lasagna to bubble and brown, watching carefully. Should take 2 minutes or less.
*Remove from the oven and allow to set for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Grilling works best to remove the water from the zucchini. But as an alternative to grilling, you can bake the zucchini slices in a 500F oven until golden, about 5 minutes on each side. Or, if your pan is broiler-safe and you use unbleached parchment paper marked as broiler-safe, you can broil them 6 inches from the heating element (not directly below), 3-4 minutes per side. Remember to set the oven to 350F when you’re done.
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