Sunday Comfort Food: Zucchini Lasagna

Sunday is the perfect day for comfort food, don’t you think?  For hearty meals that are warm and delicious.  Oh, and perfect for eating on the couch with sweatpants.  Think:  Mac & cheese, meatloaf, soup, casseroles, lasagna, etc.  Yum.

The downside?  Comfort foods tend to be high in sugar and carbohydrates.  Wah wuh.  Of course, everything in moderation, but anytime I can take a comfort food and make it even a little bit healthier, I’m all ears.

Introducing:  Zucchini lasagna.

Zucchini Lasagna

Recipe inspired by Skinny Taste

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp basil
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 15 ounce part-skim ricotta cheese
• 8 ounce part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan shredded cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a medium sauce pan, brown the turkey and season with salt and pepper.  When cooked, drain to remove any fat and set aside.
2. Add olive oil to the pan and sauté garlic and onions for 2 minutes.  Return the turkey to the pan, add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.  Simmer on low for at least 30-40 minutes, covered.
3. Meanwhile, slice the zucchini into 1/8″ thick slices, add a small amount of salt and set aside for 10 minutes.  I learned that zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, and salting it takes out a lot of moisture.  After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel.
4. On a gas grill or grill pan, grill zucchini on each side, until cooked, about 1-2 minutes per side.  Place on paper towels to soak any excess moisture.
5. Preheat oven to 375°.
6. In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg.  Stir well.
7. In a 9×12 casserole dish, spread some sauce on the bottom and layer the zucchini to cover.  Then place some of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up.  Top with sauce and mozzarella and cover with foil.
8. Bake 45 minutes covered at 375°, then uncovered 15 minutes. Let stand about 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesy… yummy… lots of leftovers.  Perfect.

What’s your favorite comfort food?  How do you like to make it healthier?

Maybe you’ll try this recipe tonight?  I am leaving tomorrow for Atlanta for a work trip, but F&F will be up and running all week.  Tomorrow morning I’ll be announcing the details of my April Arms Challenge so make sure to check in for how to sign up.  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!