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You’re going to love the cheesy, meaty, and saucy layers in this easy zucchini lasagna recipe! Much like eggplant lasagna, zucchini lasagna recipes swap out the flour pasta for nutritious veggie noodles, making it a great low carb, gluten-free, and all-around healthy option. Make it ahead for a quick dinner that’s sure to satisfy!
Zucchini is one of my fave veggies because you can use it in so many ways… as zoodles, zucchini pizza crust, crispy zucchini fries, and even sweet zucchini muffins. And, lasagna with zucchini is definitely toward the top of my list! It’s got the traditional layers of lasagna, but instead of traditional pasta sheets, we’re using long, thin strips of zucchini for a low carb lasagna that’s just as delicious. (But if you want a more traditional pasta feel, make this keto lasagna instead.)
Zucchini Lasagna Recipe: Why You’ll Love It
- All the comfort food flavors of regular lasagna
- Tender zucchini noodles, creamy cheese filling, hearty tomato meat sauce, and melty cheese on top
- Easy to prep ahead
- Naturally low carb (just 5.3 grams net carbs per serving)
- Healthy, keto zucchini lasagna the whole family will love
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for easy zucchini lasagna, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Zucchini Lasagna Noodles:
- Zucchini – Thicker zucchini works best, because it makes wider slices for the noodle layer. But any size you can find will do; you just might need more zucchini if yours is very small.
- Olive Oil – Olive oil imparts traditional flavor, but you could also use avocado oil if you prefer.
- Sea Salt
Meat Sauce:
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic for the best flavor, or jarred for convenience.
- Meat – I prefer 85/15 grass-fed ground beef, but any lean ground beef you have on hand will work. You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey if you prefer.
- Marinara Sauce – I recommend a sugar-free marinara sauce, but any kind works. You can also change this up by using pesto sauce, which I did in my original version of this zucchini lasagna recipe, but now I much prefer a classic marinara or another tomato sauce.
VARIATION: Add veggies to the meat, or make a vegetarian version!
You can replace the ground beef with a mixture of sauteed diced onions, sliced mushrooms, and drained frozen spinach instead. You can also add any of these in addition to the beef (just saute before cooking the beef.)
Cheese Filling:
- Ricotta Cheese – Use full-fat ricotta for best flavor and texture. However, skim or 2% will work if that’s what you have on hand.
- Parmesan Cheese – Use a grated, not shredded, parmesan.
- Egg – Use a large egg. Most egg substitutes don’t work too well here, but aquafaba would probably be the closest substitute for this zucchini lasagna recipe.
How To Make Zucchini Lasagna
This section shows how to make zucchini lasagna with meat, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Slice the zucchini. Use a mandoline or sharp knife to slice zucchini into thin sheets, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Roast the zucchini. Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on an extra large baking sheet (this one is the perfect size, and it never sticks, but you can line with parchment paper if you like). Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast until soft and mostly dry.
TIP: Dry the noodles completely.
Pat zucchini with paper towels to soak up extra water or oil.
- Cook the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in cast iron braiser, Dutch oven, or large skillet, and saute garlic until fragrant. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in the marinara sauce and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the cheese filling. In a small to medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, parmesan, and egg.
- Assemble the zucchini lasagna. Arrange a layer of zucchini slices on the bottom of baking dish and top with half of the meat sauce. Dollop with ricotta mixture (use half), then spread. Top with half of shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers, with mozzarella last.
- Bake. Since the layers are already cooked, this doesn’t take long. Just bake until the cheese on top of the zucchini lasagna is melted and golden. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
Tips For The Best Zucchini Lasagna
Since you aren’t using regular lasagna noodles, here are a few tips to make this zucchini lasagna recipe turns out great and not watery:
- Use a mandoline to slice zucchini. This ensures that your zucchini lasagna noodles are a uniform thickness, so they cook evenly. It’s tough to get the same consistency with a knife.
- Don’t overdo the olive oil on the zucchini noodles. We want them to somewhat dry out during the roasting process, so that the zucchini lasagna doesn’t end up wet. If there is too much oil, the water doesn’t escape as well from the zucchini. Just a light amount of oil is fine.
- Roast the zucchini in a single layer. Make sure the pieces don’t overlap, because this will trap moisture. And, don’t forget to pat them dry at the end.
- Don’t salt the beef. This is different from almost every other recipe that requires cooked ground beef. The marinara has salt, the cheeses are all already salty, and we are salting the zucchini lightly to help get rid of moisture during roasting. The meat doesn’t need extra salt.
- Dollop the ricotta/parmesan mixture in small pieces. This part can be a little challenging to spread, so small pieces make it easier. If you dump it all in one spot in the center, it will be more difficult. The mixture does go into the ground beef below a little as you spread, which is okay.
- Broil if you want more golden cheese. Zucchini lasagna typically gets dark enough without needing to broil it, but if it’s done and you still want the cheese darker, broil on high for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep any leftover zucchini lasagna covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: Prep ahead by roasting the zucchini noodles, making the meat sauce, and/or stirring together the ricotta cheese layer ahead of time. You can also assemble the entire dish and store in refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze before baking.
- Reheat: If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight first. Reheat the zucchini lasagna in the oven at 350 degrees F, or you can microwave it, as it’s not prone to drying out.
- Freeze: You can freeze this dish before or after the final baking step. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. No need to thaw before reheating, but it will reheat faster if you thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Easy Zucchini Recipes
If you like this lasagna recipe with zucchini instead of noodles, you might also like some of these other naturally low carb zucchini recipes:
Tools To Make Zucchini Lasagna Recipes
- Mandoline – A must for thin, uniform zucchini slices.
- XL Sheet Pan – This one is a great size to fit all the zucchini in a single layer, plus it’s durable and I love the coating.
- Cast Iron Braiser – I use this because it’s large with tall sides, so you won’t lose any of the meat sauce over the side. Plus, it’s gorgeous for serving other dishes.
- 9×13 Casserole Dish – My favorite one to use for most of my casseroles. It’s beautiful (comes in different colors, too!) and durable.
Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
Zucchini Lasagna (Easy & Healthy!)
You'll love this easy zucchini lasagna recipe with tender zucchini, creamy filling, hearty meat sauce, and melty cheese. Healthy & low carb!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Roasted Zucchini:
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line an extra large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Use a mandoline to slice zucchini lengthwise into thin sheets, about 1/4 inch thick.
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Arrange the zucchini on the lined baking sheet, in a single layer. Brush both sides with olive oil (use about 2 tablespoons), then sprinkle both sides lightly with sea salt.
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Roast the zucchini slices in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until soft and mostly dry.
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When done, remove the zucchini from the oven but leave it on at 400. Pat the zucchini with paper towels to soak up any extra water or oil.
Meat Sauce:
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Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a saute pan or cast iron braiser on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the ground beef. Cook for about 10 minutes, until browned. Stir in the marinara sauce and remove from heat. Taste and adjust salt/pepper if needed.
Cheese Filling:
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Meanwhile, stir together the ricotta and parmesan cheeses. Stir in the egg.
Assembly:
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Arrange a layer of zucchini slices at the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with half of the meat sauce. Dollop small pieces of the ricotta cheese mixture, (using half of the total amount), then spread. Finally top with half of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat the layers a second time, with shredded mozzarella last on top.
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Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and golden. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/12 of the large casserole dish (1/12 of entire recipe)
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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68 Comments
Ashleigh Denton
0Alrighty, I thought I’d just cruise this page and endure the ads but after tonight(over a year later) I’m down to pay the fee. Never mind that I own the first cookbook, it’s simply more accessible online Imo. The wholesome yum recipes along with my other electronic meals app have me looking like a rockstar! My fiancé raves about my cooking and I have to remind him (it’s not me! I can simply read directions, it’s Maya that’s killin it!🤣) I diced up a wilting green bell pepper and put that into the ground chicken I had on hand. I don’t eat beef and I grow my own peppers so I hate to see them go to waste. I broiled this at the end out of preference to crust up the cheese…Didn’t measure anything, I rarely ever do.. Everything else is exactly as the recipe suggests. A++++
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much for the support, Ashleigh! And I’m so glad you enjoyed the zucchini lasagna.
Olivia Nascimento
0Made the aubergine one and now the courgette (that’s what we call it in the UK). Both absolutely delicious! Have now added to my regular staple as the whole family simply love it! Thank you so much!