Much like Garfield the cat, my Hungry Hubby could eat lasagna every night (and afternoon, and most likely morning, too if given the option). Every once in a while I bust out this layered-love for his wide-eyed dining pleasure. This time, I added a secret layer of shredded zucchini. My mother-in-law brought a zucchini the length of my arm and the width of my calf (seriously, this is not really an exaggeration).
How to make this yummtastic meal of tastiness:
- Shred about a cup of zucchini and drain (put zukes in a paper towel-lined strained, dust with salt, let sit at least 30 minutes, squeeze out extra moisture).
- While boiling a pot of lightly salted water, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add in lasagna noodles. Boil 8-9 minutes.
- Brown ground beef/turkey/or soy crumbles with 1/2 a Tbsp of garlic powder, a dash of salt, several cranks from a pepper mill. Once you do an initial drain of fat from the beef (once you see it change from pink to brown), add in a couple pinches of dried sage, a couple spinkles of fennel seeds, and a healthy dash or two of dried basil. Cook an additional five minutes. Drain off any remaining fat from the meat. It's okay if some of your herbs escaped with the grease. The flavors infused just enough as you prepare yourself for the oven.
- Coat the bottom of your pan (I use a bread loaf pan since I am only cooking for two + leftovers) with prepared spaghetti sauce. Layer in noodles, followed by beef, dallops of part skim ricotta cheese, zucchini. Repeat starting with sauce until you've achieved the height you predetermined for your masterpiece. Finish off with a mozzarella top.
- Bake this bad boy for 30 minutes. Wait a few minutes before cutting into. I know, it's painful to wait, but you don't want it sliding around on your plate. Serve with a light salad and garlic bread (or in our case heels toasted, buttered then sprinkled with garlic powder).
Bon Appetit!
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