This zucchini noodle vegetarian lasagna is a healthy take on your favorite comfort food. Using zucchini noodles makes it lighter, lower carb, more nutritious, and just as delicious! Fill it with your favorite toppings and enjoy it with your family and friends.
There is no way to show someone how much you love them better than making them this lasagna. My husband ate the leftovers every single day until they were gone. He couldn’t get enough – and he didn’t even care that it was made with zucchini noodles rather than regular pasta! That is how good it is.
A little forewarning though – this recipe is a litttttle more hands on than most of my recipes (you know I try to stick to that quick and easy for ya), but yall it is worth the wait! It would make for the perfect Sunday night family dinner and it only becomes better as leftovers!
Okay so let me talk about the amounts below. These are the amounts of ingredients I suggest buying so that you are sure you have enough of everything. And actually if you aren’t quite sure if your zucchinis classify as “large” go ahead and grab a third because mine made just enough noodles and mine were big!
The reason I am saying this is because there is so much personal preference in this recipe. I can’t tell you how thick of a layer of ricotta to make. Maybe you have a heavier pour than me! I mean the cheesier the better right? So below is what I bought. I had just enough zucchini, mushrooms, and mozzarella, but I had some leftover marinara, spinach, and ricotta. All which can be used for another great pasta dish later in the week so don’t worry about being wasteful! I just knew if I tried to give you exact proportions it wouldn’t go well so I figured this approach would be best 🙂
This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian, however it is not dairy free. However – you may be able to find vegan cheeses for all of the ones use below. If you do be sure to let me know the brands you choose and how they go!
Also – if you prefer your lasagna with meat, feel free to just mix some ground turkey or beef in with the sauce layer!
Print
Zucchini Noodle Vegetarian Lasagna
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: one 13x9 pan 1x
Description
Gluten Free, Vegan Option
This zucchini noodle lasagna recipe takes your favorite comfort food and makes it HEALTHY. Lower calorie, lower carb, more nutrients, and filled with fresh veggies this is perfect for your Sunday night family dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchinis
- 30 oz ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 (24oz) can marinara (OR my homemade marinara recipe!)
- 6 oz baby spinach
- 8 oz siced mushrooms
- 2 (8oz) bags shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Slice zucchinis lengthwise using a mandolin slicer (I cut mine just over 1/8 inch thick).
- Lay zucchini slices out flat on counter and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 5-10 minutes. (Zucchinis have a lot of water and this will bring it out).
- While waiting on zucchini slices, prepare ricotta mixture:
- Combine ricotta, water, onion powder, garlic salt, and oregano in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside.
- Come back to zucchini slices and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
- Using a grill pan (or a traditional frying pan if you don’t have a grill pan) on the stove, cook the zucchini slices a few minutes on each side to soften.
- Saute mushrooms with a little black pepper until soft, set aside.
- Saute spinach until soft, set aside.
- Now it is time to stack your lasagna! (The following is exactly how I stacked mine but you can always modify!):
- Start with a thin layer of marinara.
- Add a layer of zucchini slices, close together but not overlapping.
- Add a layer of ricotta mixture.
- Top with a thin layer of mozzarella.
- Zucchini again
- Sauce again
- Ricotta again
- Spinach and mushrooms (for this one I did one layer of spinach, followed by the mushrooms, topped with more spinach. But you could always combine the two and just make one layer! I am OCD 😛 )
- Ricotta
- Mozzarella
- Zucchini
- Sauce
- Once you have topped with the layer of sauce STOP for now. Bake for 30 minutes covered (my baking dish had a top but if yours does not, use aluminum foil).
- Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes (to dry out sauce a little bit).
- Add one more layer of mozzarella and some grated Parmesan (optional) and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Broil for three minutes (optional).
- Allow ten minutes to cool a little, and then serve!
Notes
Vegan Option – You can make this vegan by swapping out the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. I know it might sound crazy, but there are so many great companies making delicious vegan cheeses these days! Check out Kite Hill, Miyoko’s and Daiya
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: main course
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of pan
If you make this recipe I would LOVE to hear how you like it and any changes you may have made with the veggies or other fillings, so please leave a comment below! If you remake on Instagram don’t forget to tag me at @donutworry_behealthy so I can see your creation and send you some love!
↓PIN ME FOR LATER↓
Pingback: Better Than Takeout! Chicken Fried CAULIFLOWER Rice
Pingback: Creamy Lasagna Soup - Donut Worry, Be Healthy