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Ultimate low-carb guiltless lasagna

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Ultimate Low-Carb, Guiltless Lasagna

This lasagna is made with zucchini slices instead of pasta. This low-carb, gluten-free lasagna is delicious and satisfying; it's a crowd-pleaser! I love making this because even those who aren't living a low carb lifestyle, always want more.
It's also easy to prepare a day or two ahead and store in the refrigerator to cook later, making it the perfect pre-made meal to take on a beach trip or vacation that you can just pop right in the oven as soon as you reach your destination and get straight to the vacation relaxing.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • cooking spray
  • 1 ½ large zucchinis thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1 small spaghetti squash steamed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 package fully coked sausage crumbles I use Jimmy Dean's precooked because it saves on prep time and you can choose between pork and turkey and they are nitrate-free, but you can also choose to brown 1 pound of the ground meat of your choice.
  • 1 ½ cups sugar free marinara or pasta sauce
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 8 ounce container ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • aluminum foil

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375℉.
  2. While the oven preheats, prepare your spaghetti squash. I like to do this by using a fork to to poke holes all over the squash to vent and microwave it for 10-12 minutes. Depending on the size of your squash, it may take more or less time. You can also use an instant pot for this step. Af
  3. After it is fully cooked (soft to the touch). Carefully cut it open (it will be hot). And let it sit and cool while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
  4. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
  5. Slice the zucchinis using the mandoline side of your grater.
  6. Pat dry zucchini slices with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
  7. Combine the marinara or pasta sauce, salt, oregano, pepper and your crumbled sausage or ground beef. Set aside.
  8. Now that your squash has cooled, take a spoon to scrape the seeds into the trash and then use a spoon or fork to scrape the squash from the sides of the rind and break into spaghetti like strands.
  9. Create your first layer, using half of your spaghetti squash to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Make sure your layers are thin so they all fit.
  10. Create another layer on top of your squash using half of the meat & sauce mixture.
  11. With a spoon, add dollops of half the container of ricotta on top of the meat sauce layer. Using a spatula, carefully spread out the layer. It's ok if some of the layers blend together.
  12. Arrange a layer of the zucchini slices on top of the ricotta layer.
  13. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and shredded parmesan until the zucchini layer is fully covered.
  14. Repeat the steps above once more to create one more of each of the layers.
  15. Be careful to not make your layers too high and overfill your baking dish, or water
  16. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and put in the oven.
  17. As it cooks, there will be a lot of excess water from the squashes. Every 15 minutes, use a turkey baster to suck out and discard the excess liquid.
  18. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake until top is golden, about 10-15 minutes more.

Notes

If you end up overfilling your baking dish (which I always do! There are just too many good ingredients that I don't want to end up wasting), don't worry.
Just place a lipped baking sheet that is bigger than your baking dish in the oven and your baking dish on top. The baking sheet will catch all of the excess liquid that drips out of your lasagna. Don't ignore this step! Otherwise, you will end up with liquid that drips and burns onto the bottom of your oven. It make a smelly mess that is a nuisance to clean later  and if you don't clean it, it will just make the house smell when you are baking other things for a while after. I learned this the hard way so you won't have to! 😉

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