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Home » Dietary » Vegan » No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna {Vegetarian; Lactose-Free}

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna {Vegetarian; Lactose-Free}

August 29, 2014 by Faith 19 Comments

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna Recipe 1

So, here it is, friends…

A pasta-free meal for pasta lovers that’s sure to satisfy even the most hardcore carb cravings.

No worries if you’re a little skeptical; I was too at first. But if you think about it, it’s really not completely off the wall. Unlike a bowl of spaghetti marinara or a dish of fettuccine alfredo, lasagna isn’t really all about the pasta – it’s all about the filling, namely, the cheese – and the pasta just sort-of gives it structure. Using zucchini instead of lasagna noodles is a natural substitution. It’s not a new idea (I don’t even remember where I first heard about it), but it sure is a brilliant one.

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna Recipe 2

The only thing in this recipe that needs a little TLC is the zucchini, and that’s just because it has such a high water content. There’s an easy fix for that though; after your zucchini is sliced, toss it with salt and let it sit in a colander in the sink for half an hour to do its own thing. The salt will sweat the excess water out of the zucchini so your lasagna is perfectly moist instead of soupy. The best part is, the zucchini takes care of itself and you can continue working on prepping the other components of this dish so no time is wasted.

I kept this dish vegetarian, but you could add a pound of browned ground beef to the tomato sauce if you want. As a total bonus, this dish happens to be lactose-free. I used GO Veggie! Lactose-Free Mozzarella Shreds, which melted really well in this dish, and I also made my own version of a lactose-free ricotta-type cheese mix.

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna Ingredients

Instead of regular dairy-based ricotta, I combined more GO Veggie! Lactose-Free Mozzarella Shreds with GO Veggie! Lactose-Free Parmesan Grated Topping, a mixture of sautéed onion and garlic, eggs, and a few savory flavorings; it resulted in an incredibly tasty spread that’s very similar to the texture of ricotta. (Because everyone, and I mean everyone, should be able to enjoy lasagna, even if they keep things lactose-free and don’t do carbs.)

Now, for those of you who do eat carbs and aren’t lactose-free, I’m not going to tell you that this tastes just like normal lasagna, but it’s close and definitely delicious in its own right. I think it’s worth a try just for the fact that it’s low-carb and chock full of veggies!

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna Recipe 3

Print
No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna {Vegetarian; Lactose-Free}
Prep time:  30 mins
Cook time:  50 mins
Total time:  1 hour 20 mins
Yield: About 8 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 3 lbs (about 5 medium) zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise into ¼-inch thick slices
  • 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 (24 oz/680 g) jar tomato sauce
  • 1 (6 oz/170 g) can tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (7 oz/198 g) packs GO Veggie! Lactose-Free Mozzarella Shreds, divided
  • ½ cup GO Veggie! Lactose-Free Parmesan Grated Topping, plus more for topping if desired
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F; get out a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish.
  2. Toss the zucchini slices together with the coarse kosher salt in a large bowl. Place the zucchini in a colander and set the colander into the sink (or over a bowl) so the zucchini can sit for 30 minutes and release its excess water.
  3. Meanwhile, add the tomato sauce and tomato paste to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and then turn the heat down slightly and simmer uncovered until thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. While the tomato sauce is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Turn off heat and cool slightly.
  5. Add the onion/garlic mixture to a food processor along with ½ pack of mozzarella shreds, the parmesan topping, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper, and process until well combined, stopping to scrape the sides down as necessary. Add the rosemary and pulse a couple times to combine.
  6. Once the zucchini has drained for 30 minutes, give it a quick rinse under cold water to remove any surface salt, and then pat each slice dry with a paper towel, blotting out as much water as possible.
  7. To layer the lasagna, spread ½ cup of tomato sauce onto the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
  8. Layer ½ of the zucchini slices; spread on ½ of the creamy onion mixture, top with ½ of the remaining tomato sauce, and sprinkle on ½ of the remaining mozzarella shreds.
  9. Repeat the previous layer once – top with the remaining ½ of the zucchini slices; spread on the remaining ½ of the creamy onion mixture, top with the remaining tomato sauce, and sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella shreds.
  10. Cover the dish with foil and bake until warm throughout, about 40 minutes; to crisp the cheese on top a bit, remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
  11. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with more parmesan topping if desired.
3.5.3251

Disclosure: I received the GO Veggie! products that I used in this recipe for free, and I also received compensation for this post. I am happy for the opportunity to share brands that I believe in with my readers, and I hope you enjoy my recipe. As always, opinions stated are my own.

Filed Under: Casseroles, Gluten Free, Vegan Tagged: Dinner, GO Veggie!, GO Veggie! Lactose-Free Mozzarella Shreds, GO Veggie! Lactose-Free Parmesan Grated Topping, Healthy, Lactose-Free, Lightened-Up Meals, Low-Carb, Low-Carb Lasagna, No-Noodle Lasagna, Recipes, Vegetarian, Zucchini, Zucchini Lasagna

Comments

  1. cooking says

    June 23, 2022 at 10:17 am

    I love the idea of using the zucchini to replace noodles! This way I didn’t even miss the pasta!

    Reply
  2. Alison @SassyMomChicago says

    December 28, 2014 at 4:36 pm

    This looks so good, can’t wait to try it especially after a week of holiday food. I featured your recipe in my weekly meal plan and #RealFoodRecipes Link up. http://sassymomsinthecity.com/real-food-recipe-round-up-weekly-meal-plan-december-28th/

    Reply
  3. Jenna says

    November 2, 2014 at 12:31 pm

    I love this recipe, I am going to add ground beef and my boyfriend will be delighted! We are trying to go carb free to counter act the upcoming holiday gorging! I must know where I can find this dish though, as in the actual baking dish, I’ve been on the hunt and I love the one you used here with the handles and the blue and white is beautiful! I would soo greatly appreciate it!

    Reply
    • Faith says

      November 3, 2014 at 8:21 am

      Jenna, I think this would be incredible with ground beef added! I purchased this dish on eBay a while ago and unfortunately it’s unmarked. If you play around with search terms like “vintage enamelware” on eBay, you should be able to find something similar. I hope that helps, and I hope you enjoy this recipe if you make it!

      Reply
  4. Wendy | Around My Family Table says

    September 3, 2014 at 11:09 pm

    I love the idea of using the zucchini to replace noodles! This way I don’t even miss the pasta!

    Reply
  5. Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says

    September 1, 2014 at 5:17 pm

    Faith, I absolutely love doing this with zucchini, and your version looks so delicious. I haven’t tried the goveggie shreds or shake before, so I will have to try them.

    Reply
  6. Nutmeg Nanny says

    September 1, 2014 at 9:55 am

    This lasagna is gorgeous! I have yet to try zucchini as noodles but I feel like once I start I won’t even look back! Plus I’m totally digging that homemade ricotta with the Go Veggie. My little brother doesn’t eat dairy so I feel like he would love this dish.

    Reply
  7. Lisa @ Garnish with Lemon says

    August 31, 2014 at 8:00 am

    I know what I’m making with my bumper crop of zucchini!

    Reply
  8. Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says

    August 29, 2014 at 9:38 pm

    I have been wanting to try zucchini lasagna. Your version looks delicious!

    Reply
  9. Liz says

    August 29, 2014 at 7:37 pm

    I used to make zucchini lasagna when we were first married…and now I see I need to reserrect the recipe! Nice tip about how to make it lactose free, too.

    Reply
  10. Carla says

    August 29, 2014 at 5:42 pm

    I eat pasta ALL the time, so I love that you used zucchini for the noodles. I’ll need to try this method next time I make lasagna.

    Reply
  11. [email protected] says

    August 29, 2014 at 3:54 pm

    We have a ton of zucchini in the garden. I know what I’m making this weekend!
    And I love that it’s Lactose-Free, you don’t find that much!
    [email protected]

    Reply
  12. Christina @ but i'm hungry says

    August 29, 2014 at 1:43 pm

    I’ve been making loads of lasagna with all the zucchini coming out of the garden… love it! My husband says he likes it better with the zucchini than with the noodles!

    Reply
  13. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    August 29, 2014 at 10:35 am

    I love zucchini, what a great way to lighten up lasagna!

    Reply
  14. Deborah says

    August 29, 2014 at 10:25 am

    Another reason to love zucchini!! And I love that everyone can enjoy this!

    Reply
  15. Cookin Canuck says

    August 29, 2014 at 9:35 am

    What a fantastic idea! This is such a great way to lighten up lasagne and make it vegan friendly. I’ve used the Go Veggie! products before (the cream cheese) and have been really impressed by them.

    Reply
  16. Erica says

    August 29, 2014 at 7:35 am

    Delicious! I’ve made a zucchini lasagna before, but I’ve never tried it with vegan cheese. Definitely giving it a go!

    Reply
  17. Rosa says

    August 29, 2014 at 6:41 am

    Delicious, light and healthy. A wonderful idea.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. real food recipe round up + weekly meal plan december 28th | Sassy Moms In The City says:
    December 28, 2014 at 4:19 pm

    […] Thursday: Zucchini Lasagna  […]

    Reply

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Hello and welcome to An Edible Mosaic! This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. Here you’ll find a focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home.

 

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I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

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