A traditional Italian classic concocted in an untraditional low carb way. Once you whip up this cheese sauce with juicy ground meat and zucchini, you won't think about the original carb-packed version... ever...again!
February 4 2019 recipe by Anne Aobadia, photo by Emma Shevtzoff, nutritional review by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE in Recipes, Dinner, Meal
A traditional Italian classic concocted in an untraditional low carb way. Once you whip up this cheese sauce with juicy ground meat and zucchini, you won't think about the original carb-packed version... ever...again!
USMetric
6 servingservings
Ingredients
Zucchini sheets
- 14 oz. 400 g zucchini, finely sliced
Meat sauce
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 (4 oz.) 1 (110 g) yellow onion, finely choppedyellow onions, finely chopped
- 2 2 garlic clove, finely choppedgarlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1½ lbs 650 g ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp 3 tbsp water
Cheese sauce
- 1½ cups 350 ml heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups (8 oz.) 475 ml (230 g) shredded cheese, divided
- 1 1 garlic clove, mincedgarlic cloves, minced
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
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Making low carb simple
Instructions
Instructions are for 6 servings. Please modify as needed.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and set aside a baking dish that is about 10 x 8” (25 x 20 cm).
Thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise with a mandolin or a vegetable peeler. Lay the zucchini slices on paper towels and lightly sprinkle them with salt. Rest for 10 minutes and then pat with paper towels. Meanwhile, prepare the meat sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft. Add the ground meat, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir together and cook until lightly browned.
Stir in the tomato paste and water until well combined. Reduce the temperature to medium-low, and simmer for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the cream, half of the shredded cheese, and the garlic to a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and once bubbling, reduce the temperature to medium-low. Simmer for about 5 minutes while stirring continuously or until the sauce has thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the lasagna by spreading about 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with some of the cheese sauce and then cover with zucchini slices on top, in a single layer. Repeat the layers and finish by sprinkling the remaining cheese on top.
Bake in the oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving to let it set. Serve the lasagna as it is or together with a fresh salad drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Tip
If you want to make sure that the lasagna will hold its shape when cutting it into squares it helps to let it rest for up to 30 minutes after you take it out from the oven.
This recipe is great for meal prepping and freezing.
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💬 Have you tried this recipe?
What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
54 comments
- 3 comments removed
4
Lori
August 19 2019
I found this to be most delicious! I got some of the water out of the zucchini by salting them first. There was still some excess liquid - not sure if I mess up on the cream sauce but all in all, it was very good. I did use less burger and added some hot Italian sausage, as well added a tbsp of fennel. Will definitely make again!
5
HeatherB
September 20 2019
I salted the zucchini to release some of the water. It was still a little wet. I think I should have let it set longer after cooking to make it easier to slice and serve. We served it in soup bowls. It was a very gratifying alternative to traditional lasagne. Definitely adding it to the menu!
6
Susan
October 19 2019
What kind of cheese? Cheddar or mozzarella?
Reply: #7
7
Reply to comment #6 by Susan
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
October 19 2019
What kind of cheese? Cheddar or mozzarella?
Any cheese that will melt well will work. Mozzarella would be a great option.
8
Chantel
November 14 2019
My husband loved this! Broiled it at the end for extra crispyness. So good.
- 1 comment removed
10
Melody
May 4 2020
YUM! This is delicious and easy to make. I added a ricotta layer in the middle, like one of the other lasagna recipes here had. Turkey baster worked great to deal with the extra liquid and seems easier than fiddling with the zuchini slices before hand.
11
Matt
June 6 2020
Made this and it was delicious. I found a tip on another website for stopping the lasagna becoming watery.
Salt the zucchini noodles on both sides and let them rest for 10 minutes then blot the zucchini on both sides with kitchen towel. To dry them out more bake the zucchini on an oven tray for 15 minutes at 400°F / 200°C. Then layer as above!
Using this method worked a treat.
Reply: #12
12
Reply to comment #11 by Matt
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
June 6 2020
Made this and it was delicious. I found a tip on another website for stopping the lasagna becoming watery.
Salt the zucchini noodles on both sides and let them rest for 10 minutes then blot the zucchini on both sides with kitchen towel. To dry them out more bake the zucchini on an oven tray for 15 minutes at 400°F / 200°C. Then layer as above!
Using this method worked a treat.Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
13
Kelly
September 2 2020
This was amazing! I even prefer it over pasta lasagna 😍
14
Kim
September 29 2020
I salted the zucchini and pat dry worked well . It was still very wet when cooked might try cream cheese to replace cream! TASTE great!
Reply: #15
15
Reply to comment #14 by Kim
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
September 29 2020
I salted the zucchini and pat dry worked well . It was still very wet when cooked might try cream cheese to replace cream! TASTE great!
I have made this and eliminated the zucchini completely and it is fantastic!
16
Karen
October 3 2020
Can you use Creme fraiche instead of cream
Reply: #17
17
Reply to comment #16 by Karen
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
October 3 2020
Can you use Creme fraiche instead of cream
As heavy cream is a liquid, it may be best to try unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened coconut milk as a substitute.
18
Jill Wallentin Team Diet Doctor
December 7 2020
Hello there!
Thanks so much for your feedback. We've listened, re-tested this recipe, and improved it. We hope once you try it again yourself, you'll notice the difference — and love it as much as we do.
Happy cooking!/The recipe team
P.S. To keep the comments section up-to-date, we've gone ahead and removed any comments regarding the now-resolved issues. Thanks!
19
Jacolyn
December 18 2020
This was EXCELLENT!! Loved it! I did take the recommendation to bake zucchini after I salted it. Just delicious! Thanks!
Reply: #20
20
Reply to comment #19 by Jacolyn
Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
December 18 2020
This was EXCELLENT!! Loved it! I did take the recommendation to bake zucchini after I salted it. Just delicious! Thanks!
Thank you for your comments and feedback, Jacolyn!
21
jakandbe
January 11 2021
We made this last night. It was included in my personalized meal plan so I thought I would give it a try. We loved it! Nice flavor! Will definitely make it again!
I sliced the Zucchini with my good old cheese slicer. Worked fine. Used a clean kitchen towel instead of paper towel. Worked fine!
When you read the recipe it seems like a lot of work but it wasn't bad. While the lasagna was in the oven I cleaned up the kitchen, and done-done!Reply: #22
22
Reply to comment #21 by jakandbe
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
January 12 2021
We made this last night. It was included in my personalized meal plan so I thought I would give it a try. We loved it! Nice flavor! Will definitely make it again!
I sliced the Zucchini with my good old cheese slicer. Worked fine. Used a clean kitchen towel instead of paper towel. Worked fine!
When you read the recipe it seems like a lot of work but it wasn't bad. While the lasagna was in the oven I cleaned up the kitchen, and done-done!It's always a nice surprise when you find a recipe to be easier than you fear it may be. I'm glad you enjoyed this!
23
Marie
March 3 2021
I thought I made 4 portions, and already split up in 4 servings, but I guess I made the 6 portion recipe😃😃Hopefully won't make too much of a difference in the carb amount......? This is my 1st week. Tastes great!
24
Carol
March 14 2021
This was a good recipe. Very tasty. I think some ricotta would have made it a little better, but the cheese sauce I made was good. My pasta loving significant other loved it.
Reply: #25
25
Reply to comment #24 by Carol
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
March 14 2021
This was a good recipe. Very tasty. I think some ricotta would have made it a little better, but the cheese sauce I made was good. My pasta loving significant other loved it.
So glad you both enjoyed it!
26
Jamie
April 8 2021
Just wondering if it's best to cook this first before freezing, or if it can be assembled and frozen to bake at a later date?
Reply: #28
27
Honeymay
April 8 2021
Looks good. I think I'd add tomato paste to the cheese sauce to make it more tomato-y. Basically what you want to taste
in lasagna is tomatoes, meat, pasta and cheese. I'm an Italian cook.28
Reply to comment #26 by Jamie
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
April 9 2021
Just wondering if it's best to cook this first before freezing, or if it can be assembled and frozen to bake at a later date?
Most dishes like this turn out well when baked and then frozen.
29
Carrie
May 26 2021
Fabulous lasagna recipe. I used Italian sausage and also, like others, baked the zucchini on parchment paper lined baking sheet in the oven at 400 for 15 min to dry out. Worked perfectly. I found I needed more zucchini to fully cover the layers. Maybe my slices were thick? Also, I baked the lasagna early in the day and then refrigerated it so it solidified, Then just microwaved portions to reheat. The lasagna was as good as any non keto version. I would feel comfortable serving it to guests that were not eating keto. Fantastic! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Reply: #30
30
Reply to comment #29 by Carrie
Charlotte Zwart Team Diet Doctor
May 26 2021
Fabulous lasagna recipe. I used Italian sausage and also, like others, baked the zucchini on parchment paper lined baking sheet in the oven at 400 for 15 min to dry out. Worked perfectly. I found I needed more zucchini to fully cover the layers. Maybe my slices were thick? Also, I baked the lasagna early in the day and then refrigerated it so it solidified, Then just microwaved portions to reheat. The lasagna was as good as any non keto version. I would feel comfortable serving it to guests that were not eating keto. Fantastic! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Thank you for your feedback! It works best if you thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise with a mandolin or a vegetable peeler.
31
Janet
May 31 2021
Thanks Team Diet Doctor. I love all the recipes!!
32
redaries
June 4 2021
Would love to make this recipe. How long would this last if not cooked but just refrigerated until ready to bake? Thanks!
Reply: #33
33
Reply to comment #32 by redaries
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
June 4 2021
Would love to make this recipe. How long would this last if not cooked but just refrigerated until ready to bake? Thanks!
If covered, it should be safe to bake for at least 24 - 48 hours.
34
Kelli
June 16 2021
I made this and it was wonderful. The only thing was 1.) I used too big of a pan, so I only had 2 layers. I for sure will use a smaller pan next time and 2.) For whatever reasons...the water amount of 3 tbsp. added to the tomato sauce was not even close to being enough. I just kept adding more water to get it to the right sauce consistency. I think I ended up adding about a cup to get it looking the way it looked in the video. But as I said it was delicious and hubby loved it too. I will definitely make this again and again. Thank you.
35
Lisa
July 13 2021
My family absolutely loved this and requested that I make it again soon....one of my girls is picky when it comes to her vegetables. She found it so creamy and "soothing" that she did not care that there was zucchini. Definitely a win in my house. Thank you.
36
Kenneth Porter
August 17 2021
good base recipe. double the herbs, salt and add a tin of chopped tomatoes. Its tastes real then
37
Rachael
September 29 2021
I made this last night for my family. I dry baked the zucchini for 10 min after salting. It’s a little fiddly to make but worth it on a day you have the time. Everyone loved it, my husband said it was very tasty. It was delicious. Leftovers were minimal and are now gone! Thanks, I’ll make this again.
Reply: #38
38
Reply to comment #37 by Rachael
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
September 29 2021
Thank you for letting us know how much you enjoyed this!
39
Sandy
October 19 2021
This was delicious, thanks! I used 2 lbs of ground chicken instead of the beef, added 1/8 t nutmeg to the cheese sauce. I did not have the correct size pan so used 2 smaller ones, worked a treat!
40
Sarah Hart
October 19 2021
This was pretty good, but I found it very rich.
41
dyoung1
November 19 2021
excellent recipe, one question though. What is the serving size?
Reply: #42
42
Reply to comment #41 by dyoung1
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
November 19 2021
excellent recipe, one question though. What is the serving size?
This will depend on how many servings you choose to make. The default number of servings is 6, so you would divide the recipe into 6 equal amounts (as close as you can).
43
Miguel
January 24 2022
I made this today, it was so good it was very hard not going for another serving straight away, instant favorite!
44
Heidi
February 27 2022
Any chance we could have the macros? I clicked on nutrition and it blocked me.
Reply: #45
45
Reply to comment #44 by Heidi
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
February 28 2022
Any chance we could have the macros? I clicked on nutrition and it blocked me.
Hi, Heidi! The nutritional information is now a DD+ benefit. You can sign up for a free month if you'd like to access it! https://www.dietdoctor.com/new-member
46
Lor
July 16 2022
Excellent! We added a layer of cooked (frozen chopped) spinach. Entire family loves it!
Reply: #47
47
Reply to comment #46 by Lor
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
July 18 2022
Excellent! We added a layer of cooked (frozen chopped) spinach. Entire family loves it!
Love that idea! Sounds great!
48
Co
August 6 2022
I made this last night and it was lovely! The family loved it too. Thank you for the recipe!
Reply: #49
49
Reply to comment #48 by Co
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
August 8 2022
I made this last night and it was lovely! The family loved it too. Thank you for the recipe!
Great! So glad everyone loved it!
50
Zuzana Zmatekova
August 15 2022
Hello, I am finding it hard to believe that one adult person would be filled with 1/6th of this. If one portion is 600 calories then to fill yourself up u need to have at least two portions and thats 1200 calories? Thats a bit crazy no? Not sure u realize this, but this for sure was not 6 servings for 6 people but more like 2 servings for two adults
Reply: #51
51
Reply to comment #50 by Zuzana Zmatekova
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
August 15 2022
Hello, I am finding it hard to believe that one adult person would be filled with 1/6th of this. If one portion is 600 calories then to fill yourself up u need to have at least two portions and thats 1200 calories? Thats a bit crazy no? Not sure u realize this, but this for sure was not 6 servings for 6 people but more like 2 servings for two adults
You can certainly have more than one serving if needed, or you could try adding a side, such as a fresh salad!
52
Carole
August 31 2022
Fabulous recipe, one of my new favorites, and definitely 5 stars! I made the recipe for 4, and three of us ate it all. I used an 8" baking dish and it was perfect for the three layers. I followed directions precisely, no adjustment at all needed. This particular recipe made me decide to purchase a mandoline to do the lasagne slides, and what a great little device it is! I used it for the zucchini and also to slice the onion, which I then chopped up normally. All so much easier than trying to do slices with just a knife. I know the mandoline will be useful for other recipes! Salting the zucchini slices is definitely important...the salt draws out the excess water which would make the dish runny with liquid if you didn't do this step. I put the slices on a couple of layers of paper towels, salted the top side only and left it for 10 to 15 minutes, then got another paper towel and blotted both sides to remove excess liquid. Quite a lot of water came out of the zucchini, and the salt did not add any noticeable saltiness to the taste of everything. I used a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, which I liked a lot. The parmesan browned nicely on the top towards the end of baking, and we all liked that. After baking I let the dish sit for 20 minutes before cutting into it as the recipe suggested....a good decision as the lasagne was very easy to remove from the pan and didn't collapse and fall apart as it would have it I'd cut it straight from the oven. Highly recommended and a wonderful treat!
Reply: #53
53
Reply to comment #52 by Carole
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
August 31 2022
Fabulous recipe, one of my new favorites, and definitely 5 stars! I made the recipe for 4, and three of us ate it all. I used an 8" baking dish and it was perfect for the three layers. I followed directions precisely, no adjustment at all needed. This particular recipe made me decide to purchase a mandoline to do the lasagne slides, and what a great little device it is! I used it for the zucchini and also to slice the onion, which I then chopped up normally. All so much easier than trying to do slices with just a knife. I know the mandoline will be useful for other recipes! Salting the zucchini slices is definitely important...the salt draws out the excess water which would make the dish runny with liquid if you didn't do this step. I put the slices on a couple of layers of paper towels, salted the top side only and left it for 10 to 15 minutes, then got another paper towel and blotted both sides to remove excess liquid. Quite a lot of water came out of the zucchini, and the salt did not add any noticeable saltiness to the taste of everything. I used a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, which I liked a lot. The parmesan browned nicely on the top towards the end of baking, and we all liked that. After baking I let the dish sit for 20 minutes before cutting into it as the recipe suggested....a good decision as the lasagne was very easy to remove from the pan and didn't collapse and fall apart as it would have it I'd cut it straight from the oven. Highly recommended and a wonderful treat!
Thanks, Carole! So glad it worked well, and you all enjoyed it!
54
Joy Sanders
October 24 2022
How long would this keep in the refrigerator? I love making casseroles and I prep all my meals on the weekend. I live alone, so these recipes for 4,6,8 servings are great but they need to keep for several days. This one sounds Yummy!
Reply: #55
55
Reply to comment #54 by Joy Sanders
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
October 24 2022
How long would this keep in the refrigerator? I love making casseroles and I prep all my meals on the weekend. I live alone, so these recipes for 4,6,8 servings are great but they need to keep for several days. This one sounds Yummy!
Hi, Joy! Generally, it would be best within 2-3 days in the fridge, but this also freezes well!
56
Barbara
February 23 2023
What would you recommend in place of tomato paste/sauce?
Reply: #57
57
Reply to comment #56 by Barbara
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
February 23 2023
What would you recommend in place of tomato paste/sauce?
There isn't necessarily a good direct substitute for tomato sauce in a traditional lasagna. If you have an aversion to tomatoes or can't eat them, you may try an entirely different lasagna like an alfredo based/white sauce lasagna.
58
Konica
March 9 2023
We all loved this recipe, it was delicious!