Aug 10
A healthy, low carb zucchini lasagna with a flavorful turkey meat sauce. Packed with veggies, protein and delicious flavor. This will be your new favorite freezer-friendly meal!
Hope your weekend was lovely! I spent mine in Chicago with my good friend Meagan; it was her 26th birthday and I couldn’t think of a better way to help her ring it in then with a girl’s weekend. By the way, thank you for all of the wonderful restaurant and bakery recommendations – you guys are the best!
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I might have had little too much fun in Chicago. Basically I’m in need of a MAJOR detox. I chowed down on churros, a bottle of wine, and probably an entire platter of chips and guac. HELP.
We even hit up a yoga sculpt class in Streeterville. I think it was one of the best workouts I’ve ever had. Which totally gave me permission to eat more food, right? Wrong. Churros = no bueno for the thighs.
There was one thing I was really happy about though, and it’s that this lasagna was sitting in my freezer when I got home. I made it last weekend and froze half so that I could enjoy it later. Thank goodness because now I have something healthy for dinner this week.
If you’ve never experienced zucchini lasagna, you’re in for a delicious surprise! The zucchini replaces the noodles and is topped with layers of an incredible turkey meat sauce and lots of ricotta and mozzarella. Next time I’d probably add mushrooms, pepperoni slices, or perhaps more roasted veggies. Either way, it’s love!
Cheesy, protein-packed, low carb and you get your veggies in. What more is there to say?! You must try this lovely dinner!
Sorry my photos aren’t the best. I was in a hurry to get to a workout class and didn’t have time to wait for the sun to cooperate.
If you make this meal, tag your photos #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram or post a photo to my Facebook page. Enjoy! xo
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. And of course be sure to follow Ambitious Kitchen on Instagram. xo!
- Serves: 8
- Serving size: 1/8th of recipe
- Calories: 308
- Fat: 12.6g
- Carbohydrates: 15.1g
- Sugar: 6.9g
- Fiber: 3.2g
- Protein: 37.3g
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 4 large zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 - 14 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 - 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- handful of basil, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- handful of parsley, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper, if desired
- red pepper flakes, if desired
- salt and pepper, to taste
- For the ricotta cheese mixture:
- 15 oz part skim ricotta
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 ounces reduced fat or part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place sliced zucchini on large baking sheet coated with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes to help dry out the zucchini a bit. This is a critical step.
- While the zucchini noodles are roasting, you can make the turkey meat sauce. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onions, and peppers and cook a few minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant; stir occasionally so that you don't burn it. Add in ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add in tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, parsley, and a few dashes of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer UNCOVERED 25 to 30 minutes or until sauce REALLY thickens up! (If it needs to be thicker, I suggest adding in another tablespoon or two of tomato paste.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine egg white, ricotta, and Parmesan. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Add in 1/2 cup of the slightly cooled meat sauce and stir to combine.
- To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the turkey meat sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Place zucchini slices evenly over meat sauce, spread on 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, then sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on. Repeat layers again starting with the meat sauce, zucchini slices and ricotta mixture and finishing with mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake for 15 minute longer uncovered. Makes 8 very generous servings.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
Avocado Basil Pesto Zucchini Noodles
Pepper Jack Stuffed Turkey Zucchini Meat Loaf
Chipotle Black Bean Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
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This looks totally de-lish!
Monique- this was amazing! It was my first one of your savory recipes that I followed, and my husband and I both enjoyed it very much. I followed the recipe exactly, and even the zucchini still has some bite to it after reheating in the microwave. Pumpkin enchiladas are next on the list 😉
Hi Monique! This looks totally and completely amazing, Zucchini is my favourite veg in the world, and I’m not really into pasta that much so I’m stoked! I DO have a question though, I am really, really, really anti-ricotta (just one of those things I can’t get myself to eat), so do you think it would be ok without it? or any other substitution? THANKS
You could try low fat or full fat cottage cheese? I think it would work!
I make a mixture that’s Vegan and tastes amazing. Place a package of Silken Tofu and a package of firm tofu in a food processor with a tablespoon of each of the following items:
original Almond milk (do not use vanilla) lemon juice
Raw honey
Chopped green onions
Nutritional Yeast (or use Parmesan cheese if it doesn’t need to be vegan)
Add some salt and black pepper to taste
I take 2 thawed chopped spinach and squeeze out all the liquid and add to the tofu in the processor.
Process everything together until it’s the texture of ricotta cheese for a lasagne
What is sodium content in this dish? It’s not listed.
just found this recipe in Pinterest as I was eating my zoodles and turkey meatballs. I am totally trying. This next week! My mom makes an awesome veggie lasagna and chops veggies in her food processor then sautés them. Thanks for the great idea!
Ok. I made this awesome lasagna last week. So good! The only changes that I made….didn’t use as much salt. Salting the zucchini slices & adding a pinch to the cheese mix was all that I used. I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes to replace the puree and I broiled the top for a few minutes after baking was complete. I’ll definately make this again!!
Just made this recipe tonight and it was soooo good!! I also uses fat free ricotta, low fat Parmesan and fat free mozzarella and it was still delicious! Can’t wait for my left overs tomorrow !
The recipe nutrition stats were high. Is this lower as I would probably eat the whole thing!!!
Sounds good!
Carbs are still a bit high for me, but sound delicious. I am diabetic and the USDA recommendations for the proper amount of carbs for diabetics sends my blood sugar into the stratosphere! I keep mine down to as close to 25 to 50 grams a day (25 for weight loss) as much as possible. I order a low carb sauce through Netceuticals and use zucchini noodles. So, I am excited to try this recipe for a new variation.
Wvgirl, don’t be afraid to replace everything with high fat versions (instead of turkey, full-fat pork and/or beef; all high fat cheeses, egg white with whole egg, etc.). I also have a hard time with carbs, and eating fat helps. This should also lower the carb content, although it’s likely the tomatoes that are providing most of the carbs. Hard to replace that. What’s in the low carb sauce? Zucchini isn’t that high in carbs.
For me, I’ll easily eat 2-3 servings of this at one sitting.
This sounda like a good low carb recipe. I love Zucchini. However, I don’t like out to be mushy. How do I cook out so it will still have a little bite to it?
Such a wonderful alternative to my *formally* favorite meal: lasagna! Just one thing, when I entered your recipe into MyFitnessPal the recipe came up as 508 calories for 1/8. I cut way back on the cheese and the tomato sauce to keep the calories in check.
This recipe is so delicious!!!! I made it for Christmas Eve and making another batch 2 days later! I like how you “dry” out the zucchini first so it keeps the water content down! I also added some fresh slices of tomato and black olives(since I love them). And Nicole just don’t fully cook the zucchini ahead of time (in the oven when drying out the zucchini) and the zucchini doesn’t get mushy. Also don’t go super thin on the slices. The slices that I did a little too thin were mushy so they didn’t make it into the end products. The actually cook time of the whole recipe only heats everything through. Great recipe-thank you!
This is a very good recipe. I am not a fan of zucchini, but it makes a tasty and healthy substitute for pasta in this recipe. I did not miss the pasta one bit!
This is ridiculously good. No bloating after either as you would get with grain based lasagna. Thanks a lot for the recipe
This is good but not really low carb. Secondly anyone eating low carb knows that fat is the key to getting full and not snacking so why is this filled with “low-fat options”
I have never commented about a recipe I’ve found online and subsequently cooked, but this was the absolute best lasagna I have ever made (or had). Thanks for the guilt-free recipe!
Awesome recipe!
This is my go-to lasagna recipe now…took this lasagna and regular meat lasagna to a family reunion, I had leftover meat lasagna but zucchini lasagna was all eaten…thanks for the GREAT recipe
I made this tonight and it was awesome!! I didn’t miss the pasta one bit. I did find that the lasagna was a little too “saucy”. Perhaps I didn’t let meat sauce simmer long enough to thicken up? I will definitely make this again!
You can do that, or add a little tomato paste (a tablespoon or two to help it thicken).
I made this last night and it was delicious! However, I hacked it and used TJ’s frozen turkey bolognese – makes for a really easy weeknight dinner
This is delicious!!! I usually double the zucchini because I like a lot in my lasagna. I also make a lot of meat sauce so I buy those little foil tins and make a small lasagna to freeze. This is perfect for me and my hubby to have on those week nights. Thank you for the recipe!
This dish was incredible!I had a ton of veggies from my garden and I was browsing for a good way to use them up and tadaa! Instant new fav. My husband was blown away by it too.
How would you count this for 21 day fix??
Monique,
I want to make this recipe vegetarian for my significant other but obviously can’t use ground turkey (I on the other hand would love it hehe). What could I use as a viable substitution?
I know your question was a while ago, but I plan to make this vegetarian by cooking some lentils and roasting some walnuts, then pulsing both in a food processor to get a “ground meat” substitute. It worked great for veggie tacos, hoping it will work here.
i made this recipe and it was truly amazing!!!! delicious ! all the family loved it !!!
Just made this with a few adjustments – I used bottled sauce and added extra vegetables (celery and carrots) and WOW! This is amazing!!!! Absolutely delicious – this recipe is a keeper!!!! THANK YOU! 🙂
Wonderful! This is my husbands new favorite meal. He wants me to make it once a week. He doesn’t get heartburn after like regular lasagna. Thank you for the recipe!
Making this tonight!!!
Do you freeze after cooking the entire thing? How do you reheat?
Looks amazing! Any suggestions for replacement for the egg white?
I made this recipe last night and ate some before I went to bed. Ate a little bit for lunch today. Got home from work and saw that I only had a 1/3 of my Zuccini Lasagna left! I found my father ate a bunch of it and had to hide it since I was planning on eating off this for a week with my eating style having to be more “Strict and healthy” so next time I make this, I will be sure to double or even triple the recipe lol
Thanks for sharing This delicious recipe with us!
Absolutely amazing. A lot of flavor almost sinful. Wow! Thank you!
SO much flavor – glad you loved!
This recipe is absolutely amazing!! After savoring every last bite I had to share with my family. This meal is delicious and fits perfectly with my macros! I did make a few adjustments; I used jar sauce (what I had on hand) and swapped the ricotta for low fat cottage cheese and it turned out delicious. I will definitely be making these again!
WOW! Just made this and it’s amazing, didn’t miss the pasta at all. My husband said this is one of the best meals I’ve made. He is even taking it to work with him for lunch! I didn’t make it spicy and I substituted with a jar of Newmans Own Italian Sausage sauce and did add in a can of crushed tomatoes. Delish!!!!
So great to hear! Love when you can surprise your family with a new recipe 🙂 Italian sausage sounds great!
Made this tonight, substituted organic ground beef for turkey and it is fantastic! I plan to remake it with additional veggies. Also think the tomato sauce can be used over pasta for the rest of my family. Super easy too!
Perfect! Yes – the sauce will be great over pasta as well. Glad you enjoyed!
Do you freeze this after baking or before, if saving for later?
I usually freeze it after baking!
This recipe is amazing! I didn’t have diced tomatoes or Parmesan so I just used 28 oz of tomato sauce (had to add a couple of teaspoons of sugar to get the tang out) and did without the Parmesan. It was delightful! I’ll definitely be making this again!
Perfect! Such a great, go-to dinner 🙂
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Hi Bridgette! I haven’t tried it, but I think you should be able to layer everything up in the crockpot to cook it.
I just ran across this recipe online today. I started using zucchini and spaghetti squash instead of pasta as well as cauliflower rice instead of rice. My motivation was the diagnosis of pre-diabetes a couple of months ago. I am trying to keep it from being full blown diabetes. I am planning on making this for tomorrow night’s dinner. I can’t wait to try it!!!!
Those are great substitutions! I hope you love this one – it’s one of my favorite comfort foods lightened-up with veggies 🙂 Enjoy!
I made this last night for me and my boyfriend and it was super tasty! I added mushrooms to the sauce because we live mushrooms! Thanks so much for the recipe! We can’t wait to eat it again tonight!
This looks so good! Quick question, do you think you could prep this a day before and then bake it the next night? Or would it be too soggy to have it sit overnight, unbaked in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Samantha! I think it should be just fine prepped the day before 🙂 Enjoy!
Thanks Monique, it turned out great! Just a bit longer in the oven to fully warm up. Delicious!
Great! So happy to hear that.
Just assembled everything, placed in the oven and realized I added the entire egg to the cheese mixture rather than just the egg white :/
Hope it still turns out yummy
Hi MaryAnn! I hope everything still turned out – such a great, easy dinner!
This is a favorite in our house. We make our meat sauce with hamburger and I add fresh spinach to the layers. Such a good healthy version of lasagna.
I’m so glad! It’s my go-to healthy version 🙂 Happy to hear that you all enjoy it!
This was fantastic!! Thank you for sharing!
You bet! Glad you enjoyed!