“Garden to table” zucchini lasagna

I’m afraid this might be the last of our garden vegetables this year.   Between the oppressive heat and drought  it’s been a struggle to keep it going.  Kudos to my husband for his over-the-top effort.

Last year I tried to make a layered zucchini lasagna however it was a total flop and soupy mess.   It only took me a year to figure out where I went wrong and make a new plan of attack. Thin sliced zucchini is a terrific substitute for regular lasagna noodles.  The only thing that makes it different is the water that comes from zucchini when its cooked.

To solve this problem you can  No.1 lightly roast the zucchini in the oven or No. 2 steam the sliced zucchini and allow some of the water to escape before making the casserole.  I chose option No. 3.  I sliced them as thin as I could, by hand (because I bought the worst mandolin in the world!), and laid them in a single layer on clean paper towels.  Sprinkled with a little salt and left to sweat for 15 minutes, this seems to help pull the moisture to the top.   I turned the zucchini over and sprinkled with a little more salt – not too much because marinara is often salty enough.  After another 15 minutes the slices were pliable and less watery.

We still have some herbs growing in the garden so I gathered enough fresh parsley to make 1/4 cup chopped.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine 16 ounces fresh ricotta cheese, the 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, one lightly beaten egg, salt, pepper, 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 13×9 inch casserole dish.  Holding a slice of zucchini in the palm of your hand, spread some of the ricotta mixture across the entire length and width of the sliced squash.  Starting at the small end, roll the zucchini into a semi-tight pinwheel.  Place each roll seam-side down in the baking dish.  Continue with each slice until all the ricotta and zucchini are gone.  They don’t have to be perfect, and no worries if it oozes out the sides.  It’s all good!  Top with shredded mozzarella and the remaining marinara and bake!

Bake covered with foil at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the lasagna is heated all the way through.

Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with a little shredded Parmesan if desired.