This zucchini lasagna is the ultimate keto comfort food recipe. Thinly sliced grilled zucchini layered with creamy ricotta and a hearty meat sauce, and the whole family loves it.
Get my tricks for making zucchini lasagna that isn’t watery!
Trust me when I say that you need to add this zucchini lasagna to your list of favorite keto dinner recipes as soon as humanly possible. It’s so delicious, so rich and hearty, you won’t miss the pasta at all.
Dare I say it’s even better than the real thing? The proof is in the pudding (er, in the lasagna?), and my youngest and pickiest child has been hounding me almost daily to make it again. Everyone in my household loved it and didn’t care that it was made with zucchini.
It’s just really really really good lasagna.
Updated Recipe
I originally created this recipe back in August 2014. We loved it back then and made it frequently, but it fell off my radar for a bit.
But with the astonishing bounty of zucchini we’ve got this summer, I’ve had to get creative. I’ve made several batches of keto zucchini bread and cheesy zucchini casserole, and a lot of keto zucchini cookies.
As I combed through my old zucchini recipes, I realized how much I wanted and needed to make keto zucchini lasagna again. It’s a great way to utilize summer squash and it’s essentially an all-in-one meal with protein and veggies.
I also wanted to simplify the process a bit and make it even more keto friendly. And I am happy to say I succeeded!
Grilled Zucchini Noodles
Many recipes that use zucchini to replace pasta suffer from the same problem: too much moisture. Zucchini has such a high moisture content, and if you don’t prepare it properly, you can end up with a soupy mess.
To avoid watery zucchini lasagna, I recommend grilling the zucchini first. I have found that the dry heat of the grill reduces the moisture significantly.
Don’t brush the zucchini slices with oil or sprinkle with salt before grilling, as it will make them mushy. Simply preheat the grill to medium and lay the slices directly on the grates. This dry grilling method makes perfect layers for keto lasagna.
Tips for making keto zucchini lasagna
As with any lasagna recipe, there is quite a bit of prep time. But the results are absolutely worth it! Here are my tips for making the best zucchini lasagna recipe:
- Slice the zucchini. You want slices no more than ¼ inch thick, so I recommend using a mandolin slicer. It helps slice the zucchini more evenly.
- Grill the zucchini. As I mention above, you want to dry grill the slices, with no oil or seasoning.
- Make the meat sauce. Sauté the beef until no longer pink, then add the seasonings and the pureed tomatoes.
- Make the ricotta filling. Use full fat ricotta, and season with basil and garlic. Add plenty of parmesan, too. And an egg in the filling helps hold the lasagna together better at the end.
- Layer the ingredients. Start with a layer of grilled zucchini, then ricotta filling, then meat sauce, and then sprinkle with one quarter of the shredded mozzarella. I like to save half of the mozzarella for the top of the lasagna, to make it extra appealing.
- Bake until bubbly. In the previous recipe, I had the casserole covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15. But this time around, I found that covering it was unnecessary and I just baked 30 minutes. Which means you can dig into your keto zucchini lasagna that much sooner!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use a sharp knife to cut the zucchini. I recommend cutting in half crosswise first so it’s easier to manage. Your slices won’t be perfectly even but it should still work nicely.
Yes, I have provided oven instructions in the recipe. I recommend laying the slices on wire racks to allow the air to circulate on all sides, to remove excess moisture.
Absolutely! Any ground meat works well here so try ground turkey or Italian sausage.
You bet! I recommend some chopped mushrooms in the sauce for a delicious vegetarian lasagna.
It absolutely is and I’ve done it many times. Bake it fully first, then freeze. To re-heat, allow it to come to room temperature before warming it in the oven.
Seriously, my friends, this keto zucchini lasagna is a must make recipe. I truly think it’s as good as the real thing. Possibly even better because it doesn’t weigh you down with unnecessary carbs!
More delicious keto casserole recipes
- Ham and Cauliflower Casserole
- Keto Shepherd’s Pie
- Chicken Broccoli Casserole
- Keto Green Bean Casserole
- Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
- Tamale Pie
Keto Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 lb zucchini (2 to 3 large)
- 1 ½ lb ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 15 ounces full-fat ricotta
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups crushed or pureed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium. Cut the zucchini in half crosswise and then use a mandolin slicer to slice no more than ¼ inch thick.
- Grill the zucchini slices until they are tender and much of the moisture has been removed, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from grill and set aside. (Alternatively, roast zucchini at 350F in the oven on wire baking racks for about 20 minutes).
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook through, breaking up any clumps with the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the tomatoes.
- In a large bowl, the ricotta, parmesan, basil, egg, garlic and the remaining salt. Stir to combine well.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and brush a 9×13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish with the oil. Lay one third of the zucchini slices across the bottom in a single layer. Spread with one third of the ricotta mixture, then one third of the meat sauce and one quarter of the mozzarella. Repeat these layers 2 more times, finishing with half of the mozzarella.
- Bake 30 minutes, until bubbling and hot. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Natasha says
This is a great recipe! I will use this for years to come. My family just loved it
Lisalia says
This was the best recipe for zucchini season! We literally have it coming out of every corner of the garden and I’m not fond of zucchini bread. Thanks for such a yummy and easy way to eat zucchini that my whole famiy loved!
katerina @ diethood.com says
This zucchini lasagna was absolutely amazing! I will definitely be making is again and again!! b
Inka says
I love the fact, that you add the metric numbers to the recipe.
Now I have just to find the Celsius Temperature … :o)))
Karen says
The zucchini lasagna was wonderful! Will definitely make this again.
Jan says
I just made this Carolyn and the flavor is so good and I didn’t miss the noodles at all! Thank you for another successful dish!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!!!
Nancy says
Could I use the same temperature and time as the oven to dry the zucchini out in an air fryer?
Carolyn says
I really don’t know, you will have to experiment. I am not sure an air fryer is the best choice simply because it won’t fit all of your zucchini slices.
Roberta says
How could be the full-fat ricotta substituted for a more bechamel-like. creamy and dense filling? Maybe with some butter, heavy cream/almond milk and a bit of xanthan gum?I found ricotta leaves the final result too much gritty, my family didn’t enjoy the lasagna as much as other recipes like that using ricotta (someway better with eggplants and tomatoe sauce tough, with fresh basil leaves that here I preferred to substitute with oregano for a more authentic lasagna flavour coupled to ground beef). I know it would end to be almost another recipe, but the fact to use grilled zucchini and your other instructions are so inviting that I just wanted to ask anyway… thank you for sharing your updating for your already tezted and loved recipes.
Carolyn says
You’ll have to experiment, I guess.
Mary Anna says
My keto bechemel is super simple. Cream cheese and heavy cream. Roughly one 8 Oz package of cream cheese, to about a cup and a half or two cups of heavy cream. Warm together on the stove and whisk til smooth. I add powdery parm if I want to make it Alfredo-y. I like nutmeg and black pepper in my bechemel, so I add that (but not strictly necessary). It’s my go to for lasagna, but also creamed spinach and such – anything that you’d need a cream sauce for.
Karen Marie Moran says
This was AWESOME! So DELICIOUS! What a great recipe! Thank you!
Kathryn Kelleigh says
I usually divide my pasta lasagna recipe into 2 or 3 smaller ones and after assembly I freeze the extra ones before baking. Do you think I could do that with this recipe? If so how would you handle the frozen lasagna before bakong. I usually just put frozen lasagna in the oven and cook an hour removing foil topping the last 10 min to remove excess moisture.
Carolyn says
Sounds about right! I usually thaw my lasagna for a while before trying to bake it.
Cathi Carmack says
OMG, just made this and it is FANTASTIC!! Thank you a million times!! I couldn’t be more thrilled.
Erica says
If I were making this as a freezer meal, would you bake then freeze?
Or bake AFTER freezing?
Trying to prep for postpartum.
Carolyn says
Freeze after baking, then re-warm in the oven.
Brad Dawkins says
Carolyn: I have both toasted sesame oil, and regular untoasted sesame oil (which I use to make homemade mayo). I am tempted to use the toasted sesame oil in this recipe, but I am wondering if you did not use toasted oil for a reason?
Brad Dawkins says
Oops! I meant for this question to be on your spiralized Thai cucumber salad recipe. Sorry!
Tom says
I just wanted to add, I oven roasted the zucchini and sliced it very thin, which seems to be key to keeping it from being water-y.
Tom says
This was really delicious, I’m shocked it only has 3 star ratings on A Sweet Life. I added a bit of garlic and oregano to the ricotta mixture, but otherwise followed directions. So good!
Erica says
I have already made this twice. Absolutely delicious!!!
Alicia says
Can’t wait to try it!
tanita says
That looks SO tasty. I’m experimenting this week with spaghetti squash…carbonara.
Amazing things can be done, sans pasta!!! Thanks for your inspiration.
Sarah G says
By the way, could you put the zucchini slices in the oven instead of the grill?
Carolyn says
Yes, I think you could roast them. I believe I wrote that into the recipe on A Sweet Life. I’d got 350F and I’d lay them on wire baking racks so that they dry out on both sides evenly.
Sarah G says
Why yes, you did. “You could also roast the slices in the oven on wire racks to let the moisture escape as much as possible. ” I missed that sentence.
Yay, thanks!
Sarah G says
Wooo-hooo, the recipe I really need! Oldest son is a big lasagna lover and never gets to have it anymore. Perfect!