Summer Delights: Zucchini Lasagne

As I was grilling my 3rd batch of zucchini this week, I was thinking, "what am I going to do with all of this?".

A layered lasagne, using the zucchini slices instead of noodles it was going to be.

I had an idea for a recipe, but took some notes from Elaine's recipe via her beautiful mother Angela from Naples.

This can be an all day affair if you don't do some things ahead.

I always have fresh breadcrumbs in the freezer.
I always have homemade tomato sauce in the freezer.
I always have freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and grated mozzarella in the fridge, so all I really have to do is grill the zucchini, and you can even do that the day before.



Wow, I am not usually so well organized.

Elaine's recipe calls for boiling the zucchini strips for 5 minutes in water, until limp, but I liked the grill marks and the crispy edges, so I grilled mine.
A little kosher salt and olive oil and a few minutes on the grill.



Zucchini Lasagne (adapted from The Italian Dish):

3-4 large zucchini, sliced the long way, grilled or cooked for 5 min. in boiling water
1 cup of homemade tomato sauce (you can use whatever sauce you like)
1 cup of fresh ricotta cheese
2 eggs (Elaine's recipe calls for 4 eggs)
1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (use the real stuff) (divided)
1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese (divided)
1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs (divided)
fresh chopped parsley
salt & pepper



Make the ricotta mixture by adding the eggs, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of parmesan, 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, salt & pepper and fresh parsley. Set aside.

In a small rectangle baker (8 x 10), lay some tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Lay slices of zucchini, overlapping them a bit like noodles.



Next, layer a dollop of the ricotta cheese on top & spread over the zucchini slices, and sprinkle w/ half the mozzarella cheese.

Layer with another row of zucchini slices.

Next add some more tomato sauce on top of the zucchini and sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs over the sauce. Finish with the rest of the ricotta mixture.

Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese on top of the ricotta mixture.
This will be your topping, a nice baked cheesy fluffy mixture, that browns in the oven.
I liked that!

Bake at 350F for about 40-45 minutes.
Let sit an hour before serving.



This was fantastico!