Low Carb Courgette Lasagne
Serves 8 | 90 minutes
Ingredients
4 large courgettes cut into 16-18 slices, ⅓” (1 cm) thick
For the sauce:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1½ lbs. (680 g) ground beef, lean (no more than 5% fat)
1 tsp. Himalayan salt or sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1½ pt. (700 ml) passata or tinned chopped tomatoes
8 basil leaves, torn
Ricotta mixture:
10.5 oz. (300 g) ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 oz. (60 g) Parmesan cheese, grated (divided)
Method
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place the courgette slices on the baking sheet, brush with 1 tbsp. olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large ppan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add the ground beef, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 8-10 minutes until the meat is crumbled and cooked through. Add salt, pepper, oregano, and 1 pint (500 ml) of marinara sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir in the torn basil leaves.
In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the egg.
Grease a 9x13” (23x33 cm) baking dish with olive oil. Spread 3.4 fl. oz. (100 ml) passata or chopped tomatoes on the bottom of the dish.
Arrange 8-9 slices of courgette to cover the bottom, pour the meat sauce over the top, spoon the ricotta mixture over the meat sauce, and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
Add the remaining courgette slices on top, pour the remaining marinara sauce over them, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until the top is golden brown.