This Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna is a healthy and tasty alternative to normal lasagna. You don’t need pasta or a heavy sauce for this delicious lasagna! It packs 30 grams of protein with only 12 grams of carbs and 8 grams of fat per serving!
I came up with this Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna for a last-minute potluck dinner with some of my friends (many of whom have diabetes like me). I knew there would be a lot of salad and light dishes, so I wanted to bring some protein and vegetables in a different way.
I also wanted to bring something EASY and HEALTHY. I do write a blog about healthy food that anyone can make after all, so I can’t very well show up with a dish that you need training as a French chef to make.
I had tried a lot of “healthy” lasagna recipes before, but never found one I really liked, so this time, I made my own without looking up a recipe online. I love just mixing things up in the kitchen sometimes 😀
The huge lasagna I had made was gone in a matter of minutes, so I think it’s fair to say that it was a success. I know I loved it and will add it to my list of healthy go-to recipes.
How to make Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna
This Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna requires a bit of prep time in order for the flavors to really flourish, but it’s definitely worth it. If the sauce is allowed to simmer on the stove for the full 25 minutes, it will bring a lot of yumminess to the beef and zucchini.
Let me walk you through the process step-by-step:
Step 1 – Prepare the zucchinis
- Use a julienne peeler to cut the zucchini into ½-inch (1 cm) slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Blot the zucchini slices with a paper towel and grill or broil them in the oven for 3 minutes at high heat.
- After broiling, place the zucchini on paper towels (you want to get as much of the liquid out as possible).
Step 2 – Prepare the rest of the veggies
- Cut off the ends of the tomatoes and make an X insertion on top. Place in boiling water for a few minutes. Pour cold water over, and peel off the skin (or use canned tomatoes).
- Roughly chop onions, garlic, chili, peeled tomatoes, and mushrooms.
- Add a little cooking spray to a deep skillet and fry the garlic, onion, and chili for 1 min.
- Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté the vegetables for an additional 4 minutes. Then take them off the heat and set aside.
Step 3 – Cook the beef
- Cook the beef with the paprika in the same skillet you used for the veggie until fully browned.
- Add the vegetables back into the skillet together with the chicken bouillon and remaining spices and let it simmer for 25 minutes over low heat.
Step 4 – Assemble the Lasagna
- Line a small baking tray with parchment paper and use 1/3 of the zucchini to make a layer in the bottom. Put 1/3 of the meat sauce on top. Add another layer of zucchini and continue like this until you’re out of sauce and zucchini
Step 5 – Add mozzarella cheese
- Spread shredded mozzarella on top and bake for 35 minutes
- Take the lasagna out of the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
That’s it! It may look like a lot of work but it’s incredibly easy when you first get started. I make this all the time for guest and it’s one of the easiest recipes to make for a lot of people.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can I eat this lasagna on a ketogenic diet?
A: Yes, but not in huge amounts. It has 12 grams of carbs and only 8 grams of fat per serving so it isn’t a “keto lasagna” as such. I would add a lot more full-fat cheese to make it better for keto 😀
Q: Can I store it in the fridge and re-heat it?
A: Yes, but only for about a day. After that, the veggies start to be a little mushy. It doesn’t keep quite as well as a normal pasta lasagna.
Other healthy low-carb recipes
Another great healthy recipe to make for a lot of people is my Simple Turkey Chili. Or you can go completely vegetarian and make my Healthy Spinach Rolls. Both recipes pack a lot of flavors and are really easy to make. To me, that’s the perfect combination for any recipe!
I hope you will give this Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna a try. I am sure you will love it just as much as my guests always do!
When you’ve tried this healthy Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients
- 16 oz. ground beef, 92%
- 2 medium zucchini
- 4½ oz. onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 serrano chili
- 3 tomatoes
- 5½ oz. mushrooms
- ½ cube Knorr chicken bouillon
- ½ cup shredded low-fat mozzarella
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- Salt & pepper
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Use a julienne peeler to cut the zucchini into ½-inch (1 cm) slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Blot the zucchini slices with a paper towel and grill or broil them in the oven for 3 minutes at high heat.
- After broiling, place the zucchini on paper towels (you want to get as much of the liquid out as possible).
- Cut off the ends of the tomatoes and make an X insertion on top. Place in boiling water for a few minutes. Pour cold water over, and peel off the skin.
- Roughly chop onions, garlic, chili, peeled tomatoes, and mushrooms.
- Add a little cooking spray to a deep skillet and fry the garlic, onion and chili for 1 min.
- Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté the vegetables for an additional 4 minutes. Then take them off the heat and set aside.
- Cook the beef in the same skillet with the paprika until fully browned.
- Add the vegetables back into the skillet together with the chicken bouillon and remaining spices and let it simmer for 25 minutes over low heat.
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C)
- Line a small baking tray with parchment paper and use 1/3 of the zucchini to make a layer in the bottom. Put 1/3 of the meat sauce on top. Add another layer of zucchini and continue like this until you’re out of sauce and zucchini
- Spread shredded mozzarella on top and bake for 35 minutes
- Take the lasagna out of the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Info Per Serving
I have a Type 1 diabetic friend coming for dinner on Friday night so I am going to make this as it looks delicious and I can give her all the nutritional facts as well so she can regulate her insulin accordingly. I’m sure she’ll love it as she’s a really good cook herself. Thank you. Will let you know how it goes.
This was delicious. I used bison instead of beef but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
This was absolutely delicious. It took a lot of prep time, but is worth it. I am new to the diabetic world and am thrilled to find this yummy option. I will not pre-cook my zucchini next time, as my julian slicer slices extremely thin. The portion size is generous, too! All I can say is yum. It’s a keeper.
Thank you so much for this website. I was just diagnosed with Type 2 and was very sad as I trained as a chef and was feeling sad that I could no longer enjoy many of my favorite foods. Your recipes and your attitude give me a new feeling of hope and optimism as well as providing great and detailed advice!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write that note, I really appreciate it. I am so glad to hear that the site is helpful for you.