Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna

  Oh my goodness. This. Was. Good.

 We love Italian food, especially the stuff heavy on the carbs. However, me being me (aka high maintenance) I am currently eating low carb/low sugar. It just seems to work best for me! Hubby wanted lasagna, so I decided to ditch the noodles and use zucchini.  Not only does skipping the noodles cut the carbs, it cuts the calories significantly. So you can have more cheese. Because really, isn't that what life is all about? More cheese? Maybe that's just my life.

Zucchini Lasagna
    serves 8

• 1 medium Yellow/White Onion, chopped (40 cals)
• 6-1/4 cups Zucchini or another squash, cut into strips (122 calories) this was 7 small zucchinis
• 1-1/2 cups Marinara Sauce of your choice (150 cals)
• 1 lb Ground Beef, I used Angus Beef (680 cals)
• 1 cup Low Fat Cottage Cheese or Ricotta (180 cals)
• 1 lb fresh Mozzarella Cheese, sliced (1120 cals)
• 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan Cheese (75 cals)

  This is easy to prepare, and even easier if you have large zucchini's. The ones I bought were very thin, so they didn't hold up as well as a thicker zucchini "noodle" would. 

  In a large skillet over medium heat add the onions and ground beef. Cook until the onions are translucent and the meat is cooked, I like to brown mine a bit. Add the marinara sauce and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside. Wash and dry the zucchini, cut off the ends, and slice into strips. I did this while the meat cooked. Preheat over to 400 F. In a large glass baking dish or other casserole dish add a little of the sauce/meat mixture. On top of that make your first row of zucchini. On top of the zucchini add half of the cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, top with more meat sauce, and add 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of zucchini and repeat the previous steps. I only had two layers of zucchini, but feel free to keep on layering. For the top layer you want meat sauce, then mozzarella, then a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the foil and cook another 15-20 minutes, or until the top is brown and bubbly. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving. 

  Be sure to avoid adding too much liquid to this, seeing as the zucchini will release quite a bit. If you want you can salt the zucchini strips, let the water come out, rinse them, and then pat them dry. I didn't have time for this step, so I just made sure not to use too much sauce. Enjoy!

Per serving: 310 calories, 11 carbs, 29 grams protein, and 17 grams of fat.