Roasted zucchini slices stand in beautifully for wheat pasta in this no-noodle lasagna. The simple swap reduces calories and eliminates gluten. It's also a great way to use up extra zucchini if your plants are prolific.
Ingredients:
3 large zucchini (3 pounds), sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
¼ cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 ½ cups part-skim ricotta
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
chopped fresh basil for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.
Arrange zucchini slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Roast until just tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion; cook, stirring and crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the beef is browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomatoes, wine, basil, oregano, salt and pepper; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Combine ricotta and egg in a small bowl.
Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with one-fourth of the zucchini slices and then 1 cup sauce. Dollop one-fourth of the ricotta mixture over the top and sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella. Repeat to make 3 more layers with the remaining zucchini, sauce, ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil.
