Zucchini Lasagne
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Zucchini, or “courgette” as it is sometimes known, replaces meat in this lightened version of comforting lasagne.
Ingredients
- 1 pack of dried or fresh lasagne (how much you will use depends on size and shape of dish)
- 1kg zucchini
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
- 25g butter
- 25g flour
- 500ml milk
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 40g grated parmesan
- 30g grated pecorino (or just do 70g parmesan)
Instructions
- Wash and trim the zucchini.
- Slice them lengthways, and then start slicing each half into thin semi circular shapes.
- If you are using dried lasagne, blanch each piece individually (they’ll stick together if you do more) in a pot of boiling water for a minute or two to soften, then refresh with cold water and set aside.
- Unless you have a really big pan, you’ll probably have to cook the zucchini in batches.
- Heat some olive oil in over a medium heat and saute the zucchini for five minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Add some garlic (if cooking in batches) and cook for another five or so minutes, until the zucchini is meltingly soft.
- Repeat with the remaining batches.
- Toss the cooked zucchini with fresh parsley.
- To make the bechamel, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- When the butter is fully melted, stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes to form a roux.
- Gradually stir in the milk until it is fully combined with the roux.
- Cook while gently stirring until the sauce is thickened to a slightly liquid paste – this can take up to fifteen minutes.
- If there are lumps of roux at the start, don’t worry, they’ll usually melt away and if they don’t, strain them out at the end.
- Season the bechamel heavily with salt, pepper and nutmeg (it will take much more than you think, but taste throughout).
- Stir in 3/4 of the cheese.
- Butter the dish and spread a little bechamel over it.
- Reserve about 1/4 of the bechamel to spread on top.
- Mix the courgette and remaining bechamel.
- Layer the lasagne and zucchini.
- Spread the bechamel on the top piece of lasagne, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
Find it online: https://honestcooking.com/zucchini-lasagne/
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Crispy Zucchini Mini Frittatas
- Jamie Oliver’s Penne Arrabiata
- Spaghetti Pangritata with Fried Eggs
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to blanch the dried lasagne sheets one at a time?
The recipe specifies blanching each dried sheet individually because they will stick together if you add more at once. After blanching for 1–2 minutes in boiling water, refresh them in cold water and set them aside until you’re ready to layer.
How do I know when the zucchini is cooked enough?
The recipe calls for the zucchini to be “meltingly soft,” which takes about 10 minutes total — 5 minutes of sautéing in olive oil with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then another 5 minutes after adding the garlic. Cook in batches if your pan isn’t large enough to avoid overcrowding.
What should I do if my béchamel has lumps?
The recipe notes that lumps of roux at the start of the béchamel will usually melt away as you gradually stir in the 500 ml of milk over medium heat for up to 15 minutes. If any lumps persist, simply strain them out at the end before adding the cheese. 
