keto zucchini lasagna

Someone I follow on Instagram posted a photo of zucchini lasagna, and I was like I have to have that today. It all came together because I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand. Don't you just love when that happens?

a word on zucchini noodles

Zucchini is one of those vegetables that are deceptively full of water. To take the water out, you'll need to salt the ribbons to get them to sweat out the water, and then roast them to further dry them out. Otherwise, your lasagna will be soupy. All the details are in the recipe below, grasshopper.

turmeric

Ground turmeric is a serious superfood. I always add it to ground beef because it's an effortless addition and doesn't change the taste. Always add freshly ground black pepper to turmeric because it helps the body uptake the turmeric and makes it more available for the body to use. But, if you prefer to leave it out, that's totally cool too.

benefits of turmeric

• A number of laboratory studies on cancer cells have shown that curcumin/turmeric does have anticancer effects. It seems to be able to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. It has the best effects on breast cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer and skin cancer cells. [1,3]
• Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. [2]
• Beneficial effect for arthritis, allergy, asthma, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes [2]
• Turmeric has been found to be comparable to fourteen various drugs and medications. Turmeric was found to be as effective as a particular type of cholesterol medication, corticosteroids (steroid medications), a blood thinner, and even antidepressants such as Prozac. [2]

macro comparison

Carraba's lasagna per serving

756 calories, 46 g fat, 44 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 46 g protein

My low-carb zucchini lasagna per serving

328 calories, 21 g fat, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 24 g protein

keto zucchini lasagna

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 9 servings

Calories: 328

Author: Heather Serody

 

 

 

 

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini sliced 1/8" thick
• finely ground sea salt 
• 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 - 24 oz. jar Mario Batali marinara sauce
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric optional
• 1 handful of chopped fresh basil
• 10 turns of freshly ground black pepper or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups full-fat ricotta
• a handful of fresh parsley chopped, or 2 TBS dried
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano + more for garnish if desired
• 1 large egg
• 8 oz. 2 cups shredded full-fat mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400ºF
• Slice zucchini into 1/8" thick ribbons. Lightly sprinkle finely ground sea salt over both sides of the zucchini ribbons & set them on paper towels or a tea towel for 10-15 minutes to allow the salt to pull the water out of the zucchini. This is necessary to keep the zucchini from making your lasagna too watery. 
• While zucchini sweats, set a large frypan over medium heat, add ground beef & 1 tsp. salt. Cook about 5 minutes, or until no longer pink.  
• Add garlic & turmeric to the ground beef & stir for about 1 minute to allow the garlic to cook. Add marinara sauce, basil & pepper and cook until heated through and bubbling. 
• Simmer on low for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced a bit and is no longer watery. Set aside. 
• Using a clean tea towel or paper towels, blot the excess moisture from the zucchini.  
• Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper & arrange zucchini ribbons on top. Roast zucchini for approximately 15 minutes, or until just starting to brown. Remove from oven. Set aside to cool. 
• Reduce oven temperature to 375ºF
• In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, parsley, parmesan cheese, and egg. Stir well.
• In a 9" x 9" or 10" x 10"square baking dish alternate your ingredients according to this pattern starting at the bottom: 1/2 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the zucchini to cover,  1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. You should have two layers of each with the final layer of mozzarella on top. 
• Bake uncovered with a sheet pan underneath to catch any spills for approximately 30 minutes or until warmed through & bubbling & the top layer of cheese is melted and just starting to brown.
• Allow lasagna to cool & set for at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese, if desired. 

Notes

 

 

 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/9th lasagna | Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 21g | Fiber: 1g

Did you make a recipe?I’m thrilled you are making one of my recipes! Would you share a photo of it on Instagram and tag me @ThriveInMidlife so I can see it and connect with you? I can’t wait to see how it turns out! ox - Heather

p.s. the best way to eat turmeric