Classic Lasagna Recipe with Vegetables and Meat
A cheesy and hearty lasagna recipe made with fresh vegetables and savory meats.
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet
- 2 Glass Mixing Bowls
- 1 Baking Sheet
- Mandoline Slicer
- Measuring cups
Ingredients
- 3 med Zucchini
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 cup Tomatoes chopped
- 6 ounces Tomato paste
- 1/4 cup Fresh basil chopped 1 tbsp dried if fresh isn't available.
- 1 cup Bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 tbsp Parsley flakes divided.
- 24 ounces Cottage Cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 16 ounces Fresh Mozzarella or 2 cups shredded.
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Begin by thinly slicing the 3 zucchinis into long ¼ inch thick slices. I like to do this with a mandoline slicer, but you can also use a sharp knife. Salt both sides of the zucchini with around 1/4 tsp of salt and let it sit on a stack of paper towels for at least 10 minutes. Blot the zucchini with a paper towel to remove as much of the extra moisture as you can. This is an important step because zucchini has a lot of water. Skipping this step may cause you to have a watery lasagna.
- Lay the zucchini lengthwise on a sheet pan and roast it in the oven for around 10-15 minutes or until it starts to brown. This will remove the excess moisture and make the zucchini more like a “noodle”. Remove the zucchini from the oven and set it aside until you’re ready to assemble the dish.
- Meanwhile, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. It’s important to pre-heat cast iron to give it its non-stick qualities. Brown 1 pound of sausage and 1 pound of ground beef together with the chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves. Add ½ tsp of salt to the meat mixture. After it’s cooked drain off any excess fat.
- Add 2 cups tomatoes, 6 ounces tomato paste, ¼ cup basil, finely chopped bell pepper,1 tbsp parsley flakes, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper to the meat mixture. Mix everything together well. Cover the pan and simmer it on low heat for around 20 minutes until all the flavors blend.
- While the meat mixture simmers, combine 24 ounces cottage cheese, 2 beaten eggs, 2 tbsp parsley flakes, ¼ tsp salt, and ½ cup parmesan cheese in a separate bowl.
Assemble The Lasagna
- Remove ⅔ of the meat sauce to a separate bowl to assemble the lasagna leaving ⅓ of the sauce in the cast iron skillet.
- Place a single layer of the roasted zucchini over the remaining meat mixture. Next, spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over the zucchini in an even cheesy layer. Top with ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- Assemble another ⅓ of the meat mixture, zucchini, remaining cottage cheese mixture, and ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
- Finish the lasagna with a top layer of the remaining sauce. Top it with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. You can even add some fresh basil leaves on the top layer for an added garnish.
- Decrease the oven temp to 375° and bake the lasagna for around 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Allow the lasagna to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This will give it time to thicken up.
- Serve this delicious lasagna with a big piece of crusty garlic bread and topped with some shaved fresh parmesan cheese.
Notes
-Use sliced fresh mozzarella for the top instead of shredded. This gives the lasagna delicious dollops of cheese on top.
-Always use freshly shredded cheese instead of pre-packed shredded cheese. It tastes so much better and becomes melty delicious.
-Store your leftover lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Don’t store your cast iron skillet in the refrigerator. The moisture can cause it to rust. Also heating a cold cast iron skillet can cause it to crack.
-If you want to make this recipe ahead of time, layer it into a 9x13 dish instead of a cast iron skillet. It can be kept in the fridge for two days. Remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before baking it.
-Allow the lasagna to rest for around 15 minutes after baking for it to thicken up. This will also help prevent a watery lasagna.
-I prefer to start lasagna layers with a layer of sauce first. This prevents the zucchini from sticking to the bottom of the skillet
- Fresh herbs always provide a fresh flavor. Use them when you are able to. I also gave the measurements for dried herbs if that’s all you have on hand.
-Be sure to drain the excess fat from the meat after cooking to avoid greasy layers in your lasagna. This also helps to prevent it from becoming soggy.
-If you want more veggies try adding fresh spinach to the cottage cheese mixture. It will cook in with the lasagna and be absolutely delicious!
-Grilling the zucchini on a grill pan or on an outdoor grill is a great way to prepare it to be used in the lasagna recipes. If you don't feel like heating your kitchen up, try grilling it.