what you need
lasagna sheets (ideally fresh)
16oz ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon lemon zest
pinch of nutmeg
1 egg
1 handful fresh basil, cut into thin strips
2 large blocks of fresh mozzarella, torn into strips
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 large zucchini sliced into thin disks, preferably using a mandolin
olive oil
For the sauce: make my essential Bolognese. If you haven’t the time, then you need these things: 1 pound ground beef, 1 pound loose pork Italian sausage, 48oz canned Marzano tomatoes, 1 minced onion, 5 minced garlic cloves, 1 cup white wine, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, a parmesan cheese rind, and salt.
how to make it
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a baking dish by drizzling some olive oil on the bottom.
If you do not have my Bolognese sauce and need to whip up a quick lasagna sauce: brown the ground beef and sausage in a pan using olive oil and salt, breaking the meat up so no large chunks remain. Throw in the minced onion and garlic, stirring for another ~2 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the cup of white wine and simmer until the liquid disappears. Add crushed red peppers, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to taste. Add the diced Marzano tomatoes to the sauce along with some additional salt and the parmesan rind, stir well, and let simmer on low for at least 1 hour, adding liquid as needed.
Prepare the Mozzarella (tear), parmesan (grate), zucchini (slice), and ricotta. Place ricotta in a mixing bowl and whip together (using a fork) with egg, lemon zest, nutmeg, and basil strips.
Now, layer your lasagna (bottom to top):
- lasagna sheet
- sauce
- mozarella
- lasagna sheet
- ricotta
- zucchini (overlap the slices so it makes a complete zucchini layer like the pasta)
- sauce
- lasagna sheet
- sauce
- rest of the mozarella
- top with parmesan
Cover the baking dish with tinfoil and bake on 350 for 35 minutes. Remove the tinfoil, rotate the baking sheet, and cook for an additional 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for ~15-20 minutes before serving.
