Zucchini Lasagna

This is a recipe from Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery (pg. 96) that I have altered a bit to suit myself. Turned out delicious, I thought! Un-Pasta lasagna with Tomato Sauce 1 large zucchini, peeled and sliced lengthwise in 1/4" slabs (need 9 slabs) 1/2 teaspoon salt olive oil 1/2 pound low-fat turkey sausages (sweet Italian-style) about 2 1 cup chopped red onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon dried Italian season mix 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained 1/2 cup sherry (recipe calls for dry red wine but I had sherry to use up) 1/2 packet splenda 3 tablespoons fresh basil (recipe calls for 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil, chopped) 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Lay zucchini slices on a double thickness of paper towels or cotton towel, sprinkle with salt, cover with more towels, and let stand for 15 minutes. 3. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Lay zucchini slices in 1 layer and bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool. 4. Lightly coat bottom of a cast-iron skillet with olive oil and preheat. Remove sausage meat from casing and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from skillet and discard any fat in pan. (recipe calls for a nonstick pan but I am trying to use the cast-iron pan to increase my intake of iron) 5. Add onion and garlic to pan and saute for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. 6. Add tomato paste to onion and cook, stirring, until tomato paste begins to darken, about 1 minute. 7. Add diced tomatoes, wine, sweetener, and basil and bring to a gentle boil; then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add sauteed sausage to mixture. 8. In a small bowl, combine mozzarella and ricotta cheeses with 2 tablespoons of parmesan. 9. Spoon 1/3 of tomato sauce mixture in the bottom of an 8" square baking pan (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray). Lay 3 slices of zucchini on top, then layer on 1/3 of the cheese mixture down the center of each slice. Repeat layers, ending with cheese layer. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese and bake for 40 minutes. 10. Serve and add salt and pepper to taste. Divide into 6 equal servings. (recipe calls for 4) Calories: 200, protein:16 gr., fat: 8.7 gr., carbohydrate: 12.5, cholesterol: 43 gr., fiber: 2.3 gr., sodium 1159 mg. Cookbook says this freezes well as leftovers.

Thanks Molly I printed it and will try it this weekend, I have wanted to make something italian so this will do....Hugs Erin

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The original recipe just didn't have enough 'spice' for me. Next time I'll probably add some fennel seed too and some fresh oregano also. Ciao, Bella!

Hi Molly, well I made the lasagna, but a little different, I made a bigger pan and I used Eggplant and zuchinni, and made a meat sauce with Turkey and jarred sauce. It turned out great. I have no need to ever make traditional lasgna again!!! Thanks for the idea....Erin

I bet you get a lot more nutrients with the eggplant, good choice! If I liked eggplant I'd try that too but...yuck! LOL Guess I'm lazy, but I like to keep a Costco lasagne in the freezer in case of unexpected company. It makes for a fun family meal and now I can have my own lasagne to eat while they have their carbs. I'm so glad I bought that book! Molly

Hi, Molly and thanks for the recipe. I was wondering if I could grill the zucchini, instead of the "salt" step. I love grilled zucchini...yum! I think that I'll go "spicy" on this version too. I've updated my standard lasagna to include all low fat products and Ronzoni Oven Ready Lasagna noodles, which I microwave covered for about 20 minutes. I freeze slices in Press 'n' Seal that I put inside a freezer bag for my family to reheat. The lasagna noodles seem like a waste of calories for me to eat so I toss them, after I've eaten the rest of the dish. What are other recipes from Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery that you like? Did you have to order the book? My library has a copy, but I haven't found it for sale. The author is Pat Levine, right? BTW, have you tried cooking zucchini, onions, basil, sea salt, black pepper, and a little Blue Bonnet? It should get a little soupy...add a bit of water, if it doesn't...this is one of my childhood favorites. I love my Veggies! Ro

Oh, wouldn't grilling the zucchini be wonderful! What a great idea! I ordered that book online from Amazon along with Susan Maria Leach's book. Some of the other things I've made from it were the basic cheesecake, pureed cauliflower, tofu mexicana and that strawberry fluff stuff. (don't have it in front of me to get the recipe names right) The only one I'll never make again is the strawberry fluff, it was too full of air and made my pouch hurt and was also too large a portion. Am loving zucchini season! At first this summer I was so bummed thinking that my zucchini didn't grow and then low and behold there it was...a different variety with the little gems hiding from me. It was a very nice garden discovery. I've been eating it sauteed with red onions, fresh mushrooms and red peppers. Sometimes I add season salt, sometimes Mrs. Dash and often some parmesan cheese to top it off. I usually start it off with a little extra virgin olive oil, so your blue bonnet is definitely lower in calories. Whoa, I gotta go to bed! TTYT! Molly

Molly, I know that for WLS patients this is a NO-NO, but in the past did you ever eat the zucchini blossoms...battered and fried with a sprinkle of salt? Friends love them. Have a great day! Ro

ABOUT THE PIE CHART: I mentioned in a post that my "pie" seems to usually divide into thirds for carbs, fats, and proteins. How is your chart listed? Seems interesting. I don't worry too much about the fats being a 1/3 because I am eating healthy fats. I was told to watch my copper level, as some WLS patients dip low in this area. Test results showed that I was right in the mid-range...great. I had been eating .5 oz of mixed nuts (every other day?) to get that result. I still do. So how's your pie cut? Ro

Yes! My pie chart usually is pretty well balanced with the fats being the smallest section. That makes me feel great. Isn't it cool how this surgery has changed our attitudes towards foods? Like you, I don't fret over fats as long as they are healthy fats. When I was at my heaviest I was a fat-cutting fool and now if I add fat it will be extra virgin olive oil, a new carrot-cooking oil I got or some real actual butter. Higher quality fats! And the fats from nuts...no guilt there at all! Small amounts! Woohoo! Molly