Baked Zucchini “Noodle” Lasagna

This baked zucchini “noodle” is my low-carb “lasagna” alternative that my husband and I have come to prefer. Don’t get me wrong, I still love lasagna now and again as it reminds me of my childhood.  But a reduced-carb option is always good to have. My mom, who is originally from the Midwest, made a mean lasagna when I was growing up. We had it often, as it was one of the five dishes my mom actually enjoyed making. As I have mentioned before, my mom was not a cook.  I can still vividly remember her standing in the kitchen, for what seemed like hours, pre-cooking the lasagna noodles and carefully draping them around the side of the colander and anywhere else in the kitchen she could find space to let them cool without sticking together. She seemed to enjoy this peaceful ritual.

I make traditional lasagna, like the one my mom used to make. But my husband found a noodle-less zucchini recipe a few years ago and that led to this baked zucchini “noodle” recipe. Zucchini, cut lengthwise and roasted, acts like noodles in this simple vegetarian meal.  I use my favorite go-to simple tomato sauce recipe here and a combination of mozzarella and ricotta to make this vegetarian entrée both satisfying and flavorful.

Still not convinced?  I get it: it’s hard giving up the noodle. Zucchini, however, has lots of health benefits that may just sway you. To start, zucchini is low in calories.  It is loaded with potassium, which is known to help lower blood pressure. Zucchini is also a great source of vitamin A, which helps promote good eyesight, and vitamin C, an anti-oxidant to help the immune system. The high fiber content helps promote satiety and also helps lower cholesterol.

This is a great prep-ahead recipe you can assemble in the morning and bake off later, which I always welcome on those busy weekday nights when there never seems to be enough time. Alternatively, you can also bake it off and refrigerate it, reheating it later as needed. My kids were a bit slow to warm up to this dish, much to my surprise as they both like zucchini. But I think that was when I called it zucchini lasagna. To them, this was NOT the lasagna they had come to love. So, I started calling it baked zucchini “noodle” lasagna and sure enough, they began eating it. For everyone in the house to enjoy the same healthful dish is rare and, as a mom and chef, makes me super happy.