The Best Weeknight Zucchini Lasagna 

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If you ever tried a zucchini lasagna recipe only to scoop out a soupy mess? Let’s be honest, sometimes healthy recipes don’t always s deliver the same quality of look and texture. Well, this cheesy beef zucchini lasagna is the redemption story to your healthy dinner woes!!

We don’t do runny casseroles, so we’ve created a foolproof method that gives the lasagna dish structure without compromising flavor and that classic layered lasagna feel. The key? An easy two-part method to release excess moisture from the zucchini. Before it even hits the pan! That way, you get a better hold and structure when slicing and serving. 

This zucchini lasagna is layered with zucchini strips, marinara sauce, mushrooms, seasoned ground beef, and a creamy cottage cheese filling. And once you have your layered masterpiece, it is topped with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese that melts into a bubbly golden born topping. Yum!

Why You’ll Love the Zucchini Lasagna

• It’s protein-packed! We swapped ricotta cheese- which is traditionally used in lasagna- for cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is a great way to sneak in some extra protein in this dish.
• You don’t end up with a soupy mess! The key is to remove as much moisture from the zucchini to avoid excess water in the dish. Follow our step-by-step process for making this lasagna and you will end up with a beautifully layered dish.
• Nutritious dinner option! If you’re looking for ways to add in more veggies, this lasagna is a delicious way to get some more nutrients into your meals. Each bite has zucchini, mushrooms and marinara sauce. And the best part is it tastes so delicious!

How to Make Zucchini Lasagna, Step by Step

Step 1: Preheat oven and prep zucchini noodles.

Start by preheating the oven to 375ºF. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside while your prep your zucchini noodles.

You will start by “sweating” them out. Use a mandolin to slice the zucchini or carefully slice the zucchini into thin slices with a sharp knife. 

Lay the zucchini on plates lined with paper towels. Sprinkle salt over each side of the slices and let the zucchini “sweat” out moisture for 10 minutes. As they sit, the salt will help to draw out moisture from the zucchini. Gently pat the zucchini with the paper towels and discard the napkins. 

Transfer the zucchini to the parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes and let them cool.

See more tips on removing the moisture from the zucchini below!

Step 2. Cook the beef.

While the zucchini is cooking in the oven, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add your ground beef to the pan and break it up as it cooks. Let it brown and cook, stirring occasionally. 

Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the heat and set it aside until you’re ready to assemble the lasagna.

Step 3. Mix the cottage cheese filling. 

The cottage cheese filling is a delicious blend of cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, seasonings, and herbs. It resembles ricotta in a traditional lasagna but is packed with flavor and a great source of additional protein in this dish.

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until the filling mixture is smooth. 

Step 4. Assemble the lasagna layers.

This is the fun part! Start by spreading a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. This way, your noodles don’t stick and burn on the bottom of the pan.

Assemble the lasagna layers in this order: 

1. Strips of zucchini
2. Thin layer of cottage cheese filling
3. Shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese
4. Meat and mushrooms. 

Add another layer of marinara sauce before you repeat those layers. You may be able to fit 1-2 more layers in your pan. 

Once the dish is full, finish with another layer of cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese.

Step 5. Bake lasagna, cool, and slice to serve.

Bake the lasagna for a 45-50 minutes. If you want to make the cheese topping golden and crispy, broil at the end for 1-2 minutes. 

Important tip: After you remove the lasagna from the oven, let it set for at least 15 minutes so that the layers can settle. Slice & enjoy.

Tips for Making Zucchini Lasagna

• Remove the moisture from the zucchini noodles. You can either do this by “sweating” out the noodles, cooking them, or using a combination of both. See our tips below for how to remove moisture from the zucchini before cooking.
• Let the dish settle for 15 minutes after cooking. As the dish settles, a lot of moisture will be released, which will result in a firmer texture. Which will be helpful when you slice and serve. 
• Add a thin layer of marinara sauce at the bottom of the pan. This serves as a buffer between your noodles and the pan. That way, your zucchini noodles don’t stick and burn on the bottom. 
• Broil for a couple of minutes at the end for a bubbly, browned finish! If you love a crisp, golden finish on your lasagna, broil for 1-2 minutes right before you remove the dish from the oven. 

How do you avoid a soupy texture?

A soupy texture can be a result of too much moisture in the dish. And since you are using zucchini instead of pasta noodles- which absorb extra moisture- the texture of the dish may differ. And there will be some moisture released from the zucchini as it cooks.

You also want to allow the lasagna to set for at least 15 minutes before serving. That way, the layers and any excess moisture can settle before serving.

How to Remove Moisture from the Zucchini

The easiest way to reduce moisture and create a thicker texture is to absorb as much moisture from the zucchini noodles as possible. You can do this by:

1. Sweating the noodles. Sprinkle the noodles with salt to “sweat” out the moisture and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Bake or grill. Cooking the lasagna will remove some of the excess moisture as well. 

In this recipe, we doubled down and used both of these methods! Which results in the perfect texture!

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