I’m not sure which is worse, being called a “Veggie Nut Job” or as my father once called my husband, a ”Veggie Freak” . It was all in good hearted fun, but perhaps in an odd way, it was a compliment that someone would actually notice, especially since we are not vegetarians! But the short answer is No, zucchini lasagna is not just for avid die hard veggie lovers. I can say this because my father whom I mentioned above, actually really enjoyed the dish and said so in front of family witnesses. My father it appears, has come a long way since his silly name calling days.
Zucchini is not, and I repeat, not one of my top veggies. However, I have discovered over the past few months different ways to prepare zucchini which I have really enjoyed. Enough so that I think it is worthy to write a few blogs about.them. This particular blog is about zucchini lasagna which I chose to create (I did not look up any recipes for this) in an attempt to cut back on our intake of white pasta (I can’t stand whole wheat pasta), yet all the while not cutting back on serving pasta dishes.
My recipe for the zucchini version of vegetable lasagna is on my website which you are free to use. I learned a few things from experimenting with this dish and I will list them here:
1. My first mistake on my first try was to boil the strips of zucchini and then drain them. An utter waste of time. If there is a better way to prep zucchini I’ll let you know, such as there is a proper way of preparing eggplant. But this is not about eggplant lasagna.
2. My second mistake was filling the lasagna pan up to the rim. Naturally the liquid from the zucchini along with the boiling pasta sauce caused it to overflow a bit. Thankfully I thought of this possible outcome and used a cookie sheet on the rack beneath. Do not put the pan directly on the cookie sheet because this will make it harder to heat the bottom of the lasagna pan.
3. Do not skimp on ingredients. My second time around, I skimped on the sauce. I thought perhaps I can cut back on the liquid issue, however what happened was the lasagna was a bit dry. Maybe dry isn’t the right word because you had the liquid from the ricotta and the zucchini still there but well, it’s lasagna… use enough sauce or just call it a bake. It still tasted excellent and her gluten free fiance enjoyed it, she and I both agreed it could use more sauce.
4. Do not mix and match with eggplant. Two very different tastes and textures. I prefer the zucchini over eggplant lasagna.
5. Don’t tell people what you are making until it’s on the table. Reason is that most people do not associate good lasagna with zucchini lasagna. They may have preconceived notions of tofu laden veggie freak Italian wannabe dishes and turn up their snobby culinary noses. Actually since this recipe has been tested by full Italians (my family) you can say you got the 100% approved recipe from an Italian – Me!
6. Offer other dishes just in case. Sometimes it takes a few tries until you make a home run, so include something else on the table so those less likely to enjoy the dish can take a small portion and fill up on something else. This is less intimidating for the weary hearted and may give them more incentive to take a little bit and you know… “just try a little”.
That is really it. I recommend this dish for those who are vegetarians, or those who are looking to just beef up the vegetables and cut back on the carbs. If you have a different version, feel free to let me know or post a comment.
Liz
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