High Protein Zucchini Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

Simple High Protein Zucchini Noodle Lasagna

4.25 from 8 votes

High Protein Zucchini Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

A healthier alternative to traditional lasagna. This gluten-free recipe uses sliced zucchini in place of pasta, no pre-prep required. The cottage cheese makes it a high protein dish, and the minimal amount of mozzarella cheese helps to halve the calories. This recipe has also been used for those following a keto vegetarian diet.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Resting Time10 mins

Total Time1 hr 25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Gluten-Free, High Protein, Keto Vegetarian, Zucchini Noodles

Servings:

Calories: 240kcal

Ingredients

2 medium zucchinis or equivalent amount in summer squash
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small small onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp tomato paste organic
680 mL bottle tomato sauce or can of crushed tomatoes with the juice or 1.6 pounds of fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
6 cups summer vegetables (I used 2 cups of chopped green beans, 2 cups of sliced mushrooms, 1 cup of diced carrots and 1 cup of chopped chard)
1 tbsp cane sugar
4 tbsp fresh basil chopped
1 tsp oregano dried
500 g cottage cheese organic
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 egg free range
1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
black pepper ground
100 g mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F. To prep the zucchini, slice into 1/8th“ thick slices lengthwise so as to replicate long lasagna noodles. Set aside.
In a large pot heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until it starts to turn slightly golden and translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and fry with the onion and garlic for 30 more seconds.
Add the tomato sauce (or fresh tomatoes including the juice) to the pot. Next, add the vegetables that will require the most cooking. For mine, I added the carrots first and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Then I added the mushrooms* and let them cook for another 2 minutes before finally adding the beans and chard.
Once the beans are cooked, probably about another 2 minutes, taste and add the sugar to your sauce if it tastes too acidic. Add the basil and oregano, salt and pepper as needed.
In a separate bowl combine the cottage cheese, egg and nutritional yeast. Season as needed.
To assemble the lasagna put a third of the tomato sauce mixture on the bottom of a lasagna sized baking dish. Don’t worry if it looks too thick and doesn’t spread well (liquid will be released from the zucchini as the dish cooks making it saucier). Top with a third of the zucchini ‘noodles’, then with a third of the cottage cheese mixture. Repeat this order until all your ingredients are used up. I like to end with a little bit of tomato sauce on top, then finish the dish with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover with tin foil (put a little bit of oil on the bottom of the tin foil to prevent the cheese from sticking) and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Check the dish, it should be nice and bubbly by now (and saucy), remove the tin foil and allow to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Now time to enjoy this guilt-free dish!

Notes

*Mushrooms hold a lot of water. If you don't use mushrooms in your recipe and your sauce seems way too thick, you may need to add 1/4 cup of water. Remembering that you want your sauce to be nice and thick because the zucchini will release some liquid during the cooking process.
Making it fall or winter: Try using butternut squash, kale and carrots for your filling.
Not a fan of cottage cheese: Try using ricotta cheese instead.

Nutrition