Thursday, July 28, 2011

Zucchini Kale Lasagna

It's bound to happen at one point this summer.  You get a rediculously large zucchini and wonder what you're going to do with it.  Or, perhaps you grab it right up and think immediately of zucchini bread or zucchini lasagna.




I'm sure you can guess which camp I fell into?  :)  Layers of zucchini alternating with a ricotta and kale mixture, smothered in a tasty marinara sauce, this lasagna was a delicious twist on tradition!!




Zucchini & Kale Lasagna
Recipe by Shannon
Serves 4

I had leftover zucchini and a bit of filling, so I made some rollatini with the extra components.  A tablespoon or two spread along a zucchini slab, rolled up and put in a small casserole with some sauce and baked along with the lasagna!

1 huge zucchini (or 2 regular-sized ones)
1 head of kale (use however much you'll enjoy), washed and destemmed
olive oil
1 lg clove garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper
8oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2t garlic powder
1/2t dried oregano
1/2t dried basil
dash of red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
Your favorite sauce (I used jarred)
Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, for topping

Preheat the oven to 375deg.

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and slice lengthwise into ~1/4" thick slabs (a mandoline would be nice to use here, if you have it, but I just used a chef's knife).  Cover 1-2 cookie sheets with paper towels and lay zucchini in a single layer over them.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and set aside.

Heat 1-2T extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Roughly chop kale and add to heated oil.  Saute for ~5min or so.  You can also add a splash of water (carefully!!) and cover it with a lid to steam the kale a bit and get it to cook a bit quicker.  Add garlic and continue to cook until all the kale has started to wilt.  Remove from heat and set aside.

For the filling, add ricotta, egg and spices (garlic powder, oregano, basil) to a large bowl.  Mix well, then add the cooled kale mixture and mix again. Set aside until you're ready to assemble the lasagna (can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until you're ready to use).

Check on your zucchini, you should see large beads of water on the zucchini as the salt draws out some moisture. Blot it with a paper towel to remove this moisture before preparing the lasagna.

In a 9" sq pan, add enough sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.  Start layering zucchini, followed by kale/ricotta, then sauce.  Repeat until you've reached the top of your baking dish or used up your zucchini/filling.  Bake, covered in foil, for 35min.  Remove foil, top with your desired amount of Parmesan cheese and broil 5-10min, until cheese has melted nicely and its bubbling around the edges.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10min before trying to cut.  Top with fresh basil when serving!



How do you like your lasagna?

22 comments:

Erica said...

Loveeeee it! I want some and a slice of bread :). I have a million jalapenos- any ideas :)

Maris (In Good Taste) said...

Love lasagna but don't have it too much but looks like now I can!

Fun and Fearless in Beantown said...

My mom makes a similar version with spinach because she always has tons of zucchini and eggplant during the summer. Love it!

Emily @ A Cambridge Story said...

Great idea to use zuchs as your "noodle". Bet it was great!

Candace said...

I love that you've used kale in this! This looks delicious!

Delicious Dishings said...

Ooh this looks delicious! I want to make something like this... maybe with zucchini, eggplant, and spinach.

Natalie said...

LOVE this! I had a similar dish at a restaurant that also included goat cheese...I need to take your recipe and what I remember of that one and give it a try!

Joanne said...

this, my love, is my kind of lasagna! I'm so glad you ended up sharing the recipe cause I was super intrigued after you mentioned it on twitter!

Biz said...

Maybe I would like kale if it was wrapped in ricotta!

Bridget said...

This is totally my kind of recipe!! Actually my mom got a very similar dish at the restaurant in the MFA today :) And yes, we do have a ton of zucchini...actually I've gotten through a good amount thankfully :) But I'd love to try this out!

Anonymous said...

This lasagna sounds terrific with zucchini and kale excellent!

Reeni said...

Your vegetable lasagna sounds gloriously delicious! I am basking in zucchini right now and this is one way I haven't prepared it yet. It's on the horizon.

Kerstin said...

Yum, I don't even think I'd miss the noodles, looks amazing! And I love your idea to make rollatini with the extra ingredients.

Elizabeth said...

This is my ideal lasagna. I just never like the noodles in lasagna and always find myself fishing for lots of veggies and ricotta.

Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic said...

Very nice! I buy zucchini every week and I always want to try it in a new recipe. This summery lasagna looks perfect!

Kristen said...

such a great idea. i think i say that about everything you make. one of the most amazing lasagnas I've had was made with prosciutto, eggplant and spinach

Cara said...

love this idea - it's officially on my "to make"!

Jess said...

I love lasagna and this looks amazing. If I could get MSB to eat vegetarian lasagna I would make it. Maybe I'll just add meat.

Esi said...

Nice! I love that this seems hearty and yet still light. I am finally starting to like lasagna and enjoy it with a good bolognese.

Bridget said...

Haha PERFECT! I was planning to make zucchini lasanga today! :) Our garden is pumping htem out way faster than we can eat them!!

Chef Fresco said...

Beautiful lasagna and photos! I love love kale and am always looking for new ways to use it. thanks!

Elina (Healthy and Sane) said...

I love zucchini noodles... they taste nothing like real noodles of course but I never complain about a delicious plate of veggies, especially when cheese is involved :)

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