We’re kicking off slow-cooker week with a surprisingly good meatless Monday recipe – Zucchini Lasagna. Now, I know the idea of a) lasagna in a crock-pot sounds weird and b) some would say lasagna without noodles isn’t lasagna. But, I promise it’s really good!
This carb-free, gluten-free recipe is easier to make than a typical lasagna because you don’t have to stand next to the oven to make it. It only takes about 15-minutes to prep and the slow-cooker does the rest. What’s better than that?!
One quick tip – zucchini give off a LOT of liquid when it’s cooked. So this will be liquidy when it’s done. If you used a slotted spoon to scoop it out, you’ll be left with the goodies and none of the liquid.
Slow-Cooker Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients
- 15-oz part-skim ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup spinach, chopped (I’ve used other greens to make this and they all taste bitter aside from spinach)
- Salt and pepper
- 4 cups homemade tomato sauce or your favorite tomato sauce
- 3 medium zucchini, sliced
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Directions
- Slice zucchini length-wise into pieces about 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and in a large frying pan, quickly cook each slice of zucchini about 1-2 minutes on each side (to help draw out some of the moisture). Once all the pieces are cooked, set-aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese and spinach. Stir well and set it aside.
- Line and lightly coat the inside of a 6-quart slow cooker with a slow-cooker liner and cooking spray. Ladle 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the slow-cooker making sure it coats the entire bottom of the cooker. Layer 5 or 6 zucchini slices over the sauce to cover. Place 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture over zucchini and top with the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers until all your ingredients are all used up. Top the lasagna with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Cover and cook on high for 3.5 hours. Turn OFF (don’t leave on warm) the slow-cooker and let stand for 3 hours. Before serving, top with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Adapted from: primaverakitchen.com
Season Generously 