Easy low-carb zucchini lasagna is the perfect weeknight meal and can be prepped ahead to have leftovers for the rest of the week. This easy lasagna is made with zucchini, ground beef, fresh marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, olives, fresh garlic, and loads of fresh basil.
EASY LOW CARB ZUCCHINI LASAGNA IS HAVING A MOMENT AROUND HERE
Easy low-carb zucchini lasagna is the perfect weeknight meal for back-to-school! And with zucchini season being in full swing right now, this lasagna is an easy way to put this infamous vegetable to good use.
Are you a low-carb person? I love bread, but lately, we’ve been mixing up our weeknight meals and adding in some low-carb swaps. I love making low-carb zucchini lasagna because it takes a few minutes to prepare and I have can have it ready for my family in less than an hour.
This keto zucchini lasagna recipe is super fun to make with the kiddoes too! This is probably one of the easiest zucchini lasagna recipes around!
HERE'S A DELICIOUS BREAKFAST ZUCCHINI RECIPE
One thing I love about zucchini lasagna is it seems to keep longer than traditional lasagna. I bake all of our hot dishes in a ceramic baking dish and that also helps to lock in the flavor.
MAKE DELICIOUS EASY LOW CARB ZUCCHINI LASAGNA FOR DINNER TONIGHT
It’s no secret that I love zucchini! Zucchini is such an easy and versatile vegetable to cook with. You can bake with zucchini, juice it, add it to a cocktail, turn it into pasta, aka zucchini noodles, the possibilities are endless!
August is National Zucchini Month, and I just can’t help myself with all the zucchini recipes. I’m two steps away from making zucchini ice cream so it really should not be a surprise that I’m sharing zucchini lasagna.
My Easy low-carb zucchini lasagna will be your new favorite dinner recipe.
What else could I make with zucchini? I’m thinking of debuting a delicious and zesty zucchini dip next!
I made this easy and delicious low-carb zucchini lasagna on my IG stories a few nights ago and you can watch the IGTV replay at the link here.
THIS LASAGNA IS EASY AND FUN TO MAKE
This recipe is easy to make and takes less than fifteen minutes to prepare. The first step is prepping the zucchini. I used about a pound of zucchini for this recipe.
First, rinse the zucchini and then pat it dry with a paper towel. Slice each end of the zucchini off and then slice the zucchini down the middle. From there, cut the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices.
SALT THE ZUCCHINI FIRST TO DRAW OUT THE EXCESS MOISTURE
Once all of your zucchini has been sliced, place a layer of paper towels on your kitchen counter. Lay the prepped zucchini slices on the paper towels and sprinkle each slice with salt. This will help draw out the excess moisture from the zucchini. Let the sliced zucchini sit for a few minutes, and prep the ground beef.
You don't want watery low-carb zucchini lasagna so make sure to drain the zucchini first using the instructions above.
There are so many things you can do with zucchini.
Once the ground beef is prepared, add in the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. By now, the zucchini should be dry. Coat an 8-inch baking dish in a tablespoon of coconut oil.
Make sure all sides of the dish are coated. Next, place a layer of zucchini slices into the baking dish. To make the zucchini slices nice and tender, coat each of them in olive oil with a brush. This also gives the low-carb zucchini lasagna an even more delicious and vibrant flavor.
Next, add the meat layer, and then add a layer of ricotta cheese and olives. Next, add another layer of zucchini slices and coat each layer in olive oil. Cover with the remaining sauce and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sliced black olives.
YOU WILL LOVE THESE EASY STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS
Bake at 375-degrees for 45-minutes. The low-carb zucchini lasagna will keep in a glass, airtight container for up to 3 days. This lasagna also reheats well and makes wonderful leftovers!
Pro Tip: You can make two batches and stash one in the freezer for when unexpected guests or family come over!
FOOD PREPPING IS THE KEY TO A HAPPY LIFE
This low-carb zucchini lasagna also makes a wonderful food prep meal. Food prep this lasagna on Sunday night and pop it in the oven Monday for a meal that’s ready to go for when the family gets home.
I struggle with anxiety and food prep helps tremendously. Prepping and cooking the food is therapeutic for me and having my meals planned out helps make the work week go seamlessly.
If you struggle with anxiety, I highly suggest food prepping your meals for the week and for the weekends. I have a cute menu sign hanging in my kitchen and I write down all of our weekly meals on it.
I only food prep our dinner meals, but I’m also thinking of doing breakfast meals too since we are heading into fall at full steam ahead.
You can make low-carb zucchini lasagna ahead of time and freeze it, so it's perfect for food prep!
I’m excited about fall, but I’m also holding out for the rest of the summer for as long as I can. I have many kayaking and lake trips in the near future. I never want summer to end!
Are you guys excited for a new season to begin? Have you ever made low-carb lasagna before?
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram in your photos @fittyfoodlicious using the hashtag: #fittyfoodlicious It brings me great joy seeing my recipes in your kitchen!
Eat Beautifully!
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Casserole With Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini sliced thinly lengthwise
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 quarter cup Himalayan Sea-Salt divided. (Part of this is to draw the excess moisture from the zucchini (see instructions below.)
- ¼ cup fresh chopped garlic
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- 8 ounces Ricotta Cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes diced
- 1 bunch fresh basil chopped
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
- Grease an 8-inch baking dish with the 1-tablespoon olive oil. You can do this by using an oil brush or a paper towel.
- Slice the ends off the zucchini, then slice the zucchini down the middle lengthwise into thin slices. Roll out some paper towels on the counter and lay the zucchini onto the paper towels. Sprinkle the zucchini with sea-salt to draw out the excess moisture. Let the zucchini rest for 15-minutes and prep the meat sauce.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the chopped garlic, ground turkey, 1-cup fresh basil, 1-teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt, and black pepper and simmer for 10-minutes or until the meat is browned.
- Add the fresh diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce to the meat and simmer on low for 5-more minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, prep the ricotta cheese. Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and some more black pepper in a bowl and mix well until combined.
- Make a layer of zucchini slices in the prepared baking dish. Spread a layer of the meat sauce on top of the zucchini. Next, spread a layer of the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle some black olives on top of the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of zucchini slices, and repeat the above steps. Cover the top layer with the remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle the top with 1-cup Parmesan cheese and more olive slices.
- Bake at 375-degrees for 30-40-minutes or until the top is nice and golden.
- Let cool for 5-minutes and garnish with more fresh basil.
Notes
Swaps For zucchini casserole with ground beef and spaghetti sauce
- Instead of ricotta cheese, you could use cream cheese
- Add some sour cream for a zesty flavor!
- Swap in cheddar cheese instead of Mozzarella cheese, or even better, use both!
- Cook your spaghetti sauce in a cast iron skillet for even more meat flavor
Questions For Meaty Zucchini Casserole
This low carb casserole easy zucchini casserole takes minimal time and is popular year-round. Bonus, it makes great leftovers and freezes well! Can zucchini and squash be used interchangeably in recipes?- Yes! Zucchini and squash are very similar so they can be used interchangeably in recipes.
- Yes, it freezes very well and also stores well in a glass, airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Cook the ground beef first for at-least 10 minutes and then add it the spaghetti sauce and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, but longer is better because it adds even more flavor. The famous Italian saying is, the longer it simmers, the better it tastes!
Alexandra
So tasty! This is a great way to use zucchini - we really enjoyed the flavours and will make it again.
cyndy
I love this find - I have soooo much zucchini in my garden right now and have been trying all kinds of fun new recipes with it. This was a fantastic dinner -thanks!
Adrianne
Zucchini is my all time favourite vegetable so I am loving this! Low carb is perfect and the olives are a great touch. I can't wait to give this a go, thanks!
SHANIKA
I love veggie lasagna and the addition of zucchini is so good! YUM!
Luca
This was extraordinary! It tasted so good and it was really easy to make!
Kayla DiMaggio
Love this! This zucchini lasagna is delicious! I don't even miss the pasta!
Sue
All my favorite flavors in low carb form! Yum!
Emily Flint
I've been looking for a recipe like this for a while! I just love the zucchini layers!
Andrea White
What a great lasagna recipe!
MEGAN ANN ELLAM
Absolutely my kind of meal. Love making this for a weeks worth of simple dinners.
Natalie
I'm on a low-carb diet so this going on my menu right now. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Looks fantastic! Can't wait to make this.
Andrea
this lasagna is the best! love that it's low carb yet still super filling!
Jacqui
A great low carb alternative! I tweaked the recipe to fit my dietary needs and swapped out all the animal products for vegan substitutes - but all worked out just fine! Thanks for sharing and inspiring!
Jean
Great way to add veggies with lasagna, made at the weekend so we have dinner for the week. Enjoyed the recipe.
Genevieve
It's so yummy and you won't even miss the noodles. 🙂
Bernice
What a fab low carb lasagna! No one in my family missed out on the noodles... and they finished the whole pan!
Genevieve
We now lasagna without noodles too!
Keri
I was looking for the perfect low carb lasagna recipe, and I'm so happy that I found your recipe. It came out perfectly. Everyone loved it!
Genevieve
It's so easy and freezes well!