Zucchini Lasagna

A plant-based twist on an Italian classic featuring layers of zucchini, pasta, marinara, and zucchini-almond ricotta.

My zucchini grew to be a bit humongous this year. Think ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. I went out of town for five days and returned to these ginormous zucchini. I have baked Zucchini Bundt Cake (recipe coming soon!!) , made zucchini and potato hash, grilled veggie pizza with zucchini on top, made Zucchini Roll-ups, Vegetable Stir Fry; and failed at Zoodles. Turns out that the center of the zucchini is too soft for the spiralizer to work.

After giving some of my smaller zucchini away to my dear neighbors, I still have some zucchini growing in my garden; plus this monstrous zucchini that is way too big to spiralize.

What would you do with this zucchini? I’d love to hear your ideas. My neighbor said she always chops up her excess zucchini and freezes it for later. Learning every day.

Needless to say, I decided to make this Zucchini Lasagna. That’s why we’re both here, right?

I’ve made lasagna using eggplant and/or zucchini slices or planks many times before. So I figured this Zucchini Lasagna would be a great way to use this incredible zucchini bounty. There’s nothing better than using your garden vegetables in delicious recipes for your family.

Fortunately or Unfortunately – haven’t decided yet – this zucchini is so huge that I didn’t use very much of it at all. I guess I have to make another lasagna now – as well as another Zucchini Bundt Cake…. yum.

Lasagna is one of those super forgiving dishes. It just needs a few repeating layers of delicious fillings and you’re good to go. In this Zucchini Lasagna, there are four separate components – marinara, lasagna noodles, zucchini-almond ricotta, zucchini plank. Then, simply repeat the layers with a final layer of marina, and top it off with an optional plant-based mozzarella cheese.

In total, it’s nine layers – or ten, if you count the cheese. Isn’t it gorgeous? The best part is that these layers taste just as good as they look – this Zucchini Lasagna is absolutely scrumptious! And it’s super healthy, too!

The Marinara is the first layer in the pan and the last on top before the optional plant-based mozzarella cheese. It’s comprised of crushed tomatoes, herbs, and seasonings that keeps this lasagna linked to its Italian roots.

When I lived in La Maddalena, Italy, my dear friend, Rita, showed me how to make authentic Italian marinara. She taught me to sauté carrots with onion and garlic in extra virgin olive oil before adding pureed or crushed tomatoes to create the most smooth and tasty sauce. She explained that the carrots add a little natural sweetness that cuts the acidity of the tomato sauce .

I still follow all of her tips, except I no longer use olive oil as I feel it’s unnecessary. Feel free to add a tablespoon or two to your marinara if you’d like.

I use traditional whole wheat Lasagna Noodles; but feel free to use brown rice lasagna noodles to make this gluten-free. It will be just as delicious, I promise. I tend to use whatever noodles I have on hand. For your assurance, I have successfully used brown rice noodles in lasagna many times in the past. Tinkyada makes great gluten-free brown rice lasagna noodles. Just be careful to not overcook them.

Up next is the Zucchini-Almond Ricotta. I’m so excited about this lovely ricotta. I used to forgo the ricotta blend when I made lasagna. I’ve made a tofu version in the past; but it just didn’t satisfy me. Recently, I came across a whipped almond ricotta by Minimalist Baker that I thought would be great in this lasagna. Of course I changed it up quite a bit by adding shredded zucchini and hemp hearts to the mix. And it’s delicious!

Obviously, the Zucchini Planks are what make this a Zucchini Lasagna in the first place – in addition to the zucchini ricotta we just talked about. You’ll want to slice your zucchini in thin slices lengthwise. This zucchini was so big that it was very difficult to slice through at all. In fact, I had a hard time. It was like trying to cut through dense butternut squash. So a few of my planks are a little thicker than I’d like. Regardless, it turned out delicious – though I may be a little biased.

Since most zucchini is much smaller than these, you shouldn’t have any trouble. If you do find yourself with thicker planks, you may want to bake your lasagna 10-15 minutes longer to ensure the zucchini is fully cooked.

And this Zucchini Lasagna wouldn’t quite be lasagna without the final – albeit optional – plant-based mozzarella cheese layer on top. I used my mozzarella recipe which is made possible by boiling cashews and potatoes, then blending with a little plant milk, seasonings, and kappa carrageenan. You may use agar agar or omit it, if you prefer. Feel free to buy some vegan cheese shreds or omit the cheese altogether. The choice is yours.

This Zucchini Lasagna is a great way to eat your garden fresh zucchini as well as the colors of the rainbow. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Please let me know what you think in the comments below.

I hope you enjoy this Classic Vegan Lasagna as much as I do.  

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Bon Appetit!

Zucchini-Almond Ricotta Ingredients

• 2 cups zucchini, cubed
• 1 ½ cups slivered (blanched) almonds
• 1 cup hemp hearts
• ½ cup plant milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt (optional)

Marinara Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic or 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (3 cups)
• 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp Herbs de Provence blend
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste (optional)

Lasagna Ingredients

• 1-3 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise
• 10 ounces lasagna noodles
• Marinara (recipe above)
• Zucchini-Almond Ricotta (recipe above)
• 1-2 cups vegan cheese* (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the ricotta blend.  In a food processor, pulse the ricotta ingredients until it morphs into a spreadable consistency – it should resemble ricotta. Adjust seasonings, if desired.  Set aside.

1. Make the marinara.  Sauté the onion and carrot in a large saucepan.  After 2-3 minutes, add the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes.  Add in remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.  Set aside.

1. Boil the noodles. In a large pot, boil the lasagna noodles per the package instructions, normally six to eight minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water. Set aside.

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Assemble the lasagna.  Spread 1 cup of the marinara on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish or large casserole dish.
3. Lay 3-4 lasagna noodles evenly over the marinara.  Spread one half of the ricotta over the noodles, then lay the zucchini slices on top of the ricotta, then spread one half of the marinara on top. First set of layers complete!

1. Repeat all the layers once more.
2. Sprinkle lasagna with vegan mozzarella shreds, if desired.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until nice and bubbly.
4. Allow the lasagna to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

* I use my oil-free plant-based Mozzarella cheese – made of hemp hearts, cashews, and potatoes. It’s delicious and easy to make.

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