Zucchini Parm Lasagna

Posted on by Amanda Leave a comment

Most of my recipes are really based on what I get from my weekly CSA box and what is leftover in my refrigerator/pantry. At my last CSA pick up, I got my hands on some of the last of the summer squash. This guy was absolutely massive. I had leftover homemade tomato sauce (adapted from Tomato Basil Soup, no dairy, no basil, add onion), a variety of cheeses in the fridge, and some breadcrumbs aging in the pantry. I wanted lasagna but also wanted eggplant parmesan, so we ended up with a zucchini lasagna!

Ingredients

Squash – If you want to use squash, you can really use any. Green and yellow summer squash or zucchini is excellent. Squash could also be substituted with eggplant if you want to keep the lasagna low-carb. If you want a real lasagna, you could use lasagna noodles.

Tomato sauce – Make your own or just use a jar! The sauce is meatless, but you could sear off some extra protein and mix it into the sauce.

Cheese – I used a combination of mozzarella, monterey jack, and parmesan. Use any combination that you like.

Breadcrumbs – I like the breadcrumbs since it gives the “eggplant parmesan” texture and also supports a crispy top. If you don’t want them, don’t use them.

cheese & squash
toasting breadcrumbs
1st sauce layer
squash
sauce & cheese
parm

Zucchini Parm Lasagna

Print Recipe
A low-carb lasagna that's actually super hearty and satisfying. The crispy top gives you that "eggplant parmesan" feel.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword lasagna, parmesan, squash, zucchini
Cook Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 9×13 dish or 2 5×8 dishes
  • mandolin slicer

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds zucchini 1/4 in slices
  • 16 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup panko
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mozzarella
  • 1 cup monterey jack
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Instructions

  • Cut and trim your zucchini. Remove all of the seeds and slice into 1/4 in pieces.
  • In a dry pan, add breadcrumbs, panko, olive oil, and salt.
  • Mix and toast mixture until light golden brown. Remove from heat.
  • Grate mozarella and monterey jack. Mix cheeses together.
  • In baking dish, add one layer of sauce. From there, add layers in order of:
    1. squash
    2. sauce (~3 tbsp for 8×5 dish, double for larger dish)
    3. cheese (~2 tbsp cheese mix and 1 tsp of Parmesan for 8×5 dish, double for larger dish)
    4. breadcrumbs (~2 tsp for 8×5 dish, double for larger dish)
  • Continue layering. There should be enough zucchini to make 3 full layers.
  • For the last layer, add extra Parmesan and breadcrumbs to completely cover the top.
  • Bake @ 350F for 30 minutes until top is golden brown and Parmesan looking roasty. A knife should go through the dish like butter, indicating tender squash. If the top is too dark, cover with foil and continue baking.

Make your own lasagna noodles using Fresh Egg Pasta.

Looking for other pasta? Try Creamy Morel Mushroom Pasta or Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta.

Zucchini Bread

Posted on by Amanda Leave a comment

It appears everywhere I turn there is an abundance of zucchini. The other week it was also “leave a zucchini on your neighbor’s porch” day? The other day I went wine tasting and they were also giving away a variety of squashes and zucchinis! There was a small farm on-site at the tasting room and it appeared their zucchini plants were exploding and they couldn’t consume them all.

The local farm where I get my produce has also been producing some massive zucchinis: some thicker than my head and longer than my forearm. When I get these larger zucchinis, I find that they can be extremely seedy and sometimes bitter. If I want to eat them roasted or in a stir-fry, the bitterness can still appear even if I’ve removed all the seeds. When I get one of these big guys, I like to just shred the whole thing and use it all in a loaf. The bitterness of the zucchini completely disappears in the loaf and the seeds dissolves into a moist bread.

This recipe already makes 2 standard 9×5 loaves of zucchini bread, but if I have a lot of zucchini, I like to double the recipe so I have extra loaves to give away! The bread keeps for months in the freezer if well wrapped.

Ingredients

Zucchini – I’ve found that you can use any variety of zucchini/squash. Green, yellow, or even the patty-pan ones make a great zucchini bread!

wet ingredients
add zucchini
add flour
it’s ok if it’s streaky
mixed
divide & bake!

Zucchini Bread

Print Recipe
Perfect for when you find yourself in a pile of zucchini!
Makes 2 regular 9×5 loaves or 4 mini 6×3.5 loaves
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword bread, zucchini
Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment

  • loaf pans

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 3 cups zucchini shredded, packed
  • 3 cups flour all purpose
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup rolled oats

Instructions

  • If zucchini is not yet shredded, do this first! If you have more than 3 cups packed, that's ok. I wouldn't use over 3.5 cups of shredded zucchini for this recipe.
  • Mix together eggs, oil, sugars, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
  • Add zucchini and mix.
  • Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix until batter is just a little streaky.
  • Add in the oats and continue mixing until just combined.
  • Divide into loaf pans and bake at 350F for about 60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Tent with foil if the tops brown too quickly.

Try some other baked goods like Banana Bread or Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread.

If you have extra zucchini bread, you can use it to even make Bread Pudding.