This one is for my pasta lovers who want the feeling and flavour of traditional lasagna but without the starches. When your goal is to keep blood sugar managed, bones healthy and tummy happy, sticking with non-starchy veg and lean protein is always a good option.
Traditional lasagna is made by layering flat pasta sheets with a combination of ingredients such as ground meat, ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and tomato sauce. The layers are typically repeated several times, and the dish is then baked in the oven until the pasta is cooked and the cheese is melted and bubbly. It’s a hearty and delicious dish perfect for feeding a family for days. Lasagna has been a staple in my meal prep rotation for years but, now that I am more sensitive to starches being in menopause, I’ve had to come up with an alternative that doesn’t compromise on taste.
How to Prep Your Zucchini “Noodles” and Filling
Start by cutting your zucchini in 1/4 inch lengthwise strips. Season with salt and a drizzle of olive oil, then lay them on a baking sheet. Bake them at 400F for 20 minutes.
While the zucchini is cooking, start your bolognese sauce. I like to use lean ground turkey, mushrooms, onion and lots of garlic. Cook together and add a jar of marinara sauce, or make your own with strained tomatoes and seasoning.
For the cheese filling, combine ricotta, chopped spinach, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
When zucchini and sauce are ready, start building your lasagna. Begin with a layer of plain marinara at the bottom of your baking dish, a layer of zucchini, cheese mixture, and bolognese sauce. Repeat! Top it all with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and fresh basil when it comes out of the oven and cools a bit.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This low-carb zucchini lasagna recipe ranks high on the menopause nutrition plan because of these qualities:
- high, lean protein
- high calcium
- low glycemic
- heart-healthy
- satiating
- high fibre
- gluten-free
- you won’t feel like you need a nap after you eat this
Zucchini Lasagna (no noodles!)
Description
A low-carb, nutritious lasagna made with zucchini noodles and hearty sauce instead of starchy noodles.
Ingredients
For the cheese filling
For the lasagna "noodles"
For the meat sauce
For the topping
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400F
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Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. 3 small zucchini should yield 12 strips. Lay the zucchini strips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle each strip with salt and olive oil just to coat. Roast for 20 minutes
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While the zucchini is cooking, start your bolognese sauce. The vegetables and meat you can swap out for others of your choice. Heat a medium-sized pot on the stove on low heat, add olive oil, and start browning the ground turkey. Add chopped onion, mushrooms, and minced garlic. Cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent and meat is brown
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Add seasoning and the jar of marinara sauce, reserving a few tablespoons to coat the bottom of the lasagna baking dish
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Once zucchini is cooked enough so that it is bendable, start building the lasagna. Start with a layer of marinara in the bottom of the baking dish Lay in 4 strips of zucchini side by side, like you would loo with asagna noodles..
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Spread half the cheese mixture over the zucchini, and top with a layer of meat sauce
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Repeat this process one more time, layering zucchini, cheese, and meat sauce
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For the final layer, just use the remaining zucchini strips and cover with grated cheeses. You can use just one type of cheese or a combination
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Bake for 30 minutes. When cool enough to slice, garnish with fresh basil leaves
