Zucchini Lasagna

This is a garden to table 'recipe'.

Not only do I enjoy growing zucchini in my garden,

but I also like to get creative with ways to use it in my cooking.

Zucchini Lasagna is simply substituting zucchini strips for the pasta noodles.

Leaving the skins on the zucchini gives the dish such a beautiful color, and adds great texture.

I like to add a few garden fresh tomatoes to prepared pasta sauce.  It helps add to the fresh taste.
Combined with ooey-gooey cheese yummy-ness...

...each bite is packed full of delicious tasting goodness. 

Instead of using pasta noodles, use fresh zucchini.

Cut the zucchini in half.  Then cut that zucchini in half again.

Depending on how thick or thin you want your 'noodles' will determine how you slice your zucchini.

If you want thin, you could probably use a mandolin.

I prefer mine fairly thick, so I use a knife and cut fairly thick strips.

(Cutting them all the same thickness will help to ensure that they cook evenly.)

For the cheese mixture, I usually use cottage cheese instead of ricotta 

because that's what I commonly have in the fridge.

I like to add my farm fresh eggs to this mixture to help bind it all together.

Here's how I make Zucchini Lasagna:

Meat Sauce

1 pound ground beef

salt and pepper

1 onion, diced

handful of diced green peppers

3 cloves garlic, diced

3 tomatoes, diced

jar of favorite pasta sauce

Cheese Sauce

1 container cottage cheese

2 eggs, beaten

2-3 cups favorite white cheese, shredded   (I like to use Monterrey Jack or Farmers cheese)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (you can also use dried parsley)

Cook the ground beef with salt and pepper, until no longer pink.  Drain grease if necessary.

Add diced onion, green pepper.

Add tomatoes and pasta sauce.

Simmer for a few minutes.

While that is simmering, assemble the cheese sauce by combing all the ingredients together in a glass bowl.

Using a 9x13 glass baking dish, spread a thin layer of the meat sauce.  (This will help the zucchini to not burn in the bottom of the dish.)

Arrange zucchini strips on top of meat sauce, cutting the length as necessary to cover the sauce.

Add a layer of the cheese sauce.

Another layer of meat sauce.

Another layer of zucchini strips.

End with a layer of cheese sauce.

Top with finely shredded  Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

I love this affordable box grater.
It has a convenient measuring container attached.

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