Zucchini lasagna

Recipe steps

First, we cut the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices, season them with salt and pepper on both sides, and let them sit. The zucchini will start to release water. After 15 minutes, we dry them with a paper towel. Then we place the slices on a larger baking sheet and put them in an oven preheated to 180 °C for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, we cut the onion into smaller pieces, and grate the carrot and celery finely. In a pan, we sauté the onion in a piece of butter until translucent, then add the grated vegetables. After a moment, we pour in a bit of broth to prevent burning, and then add the meat. We season with crushed garlic and simmer for a while. We add more broth as needed. After 5-10 minutes, we add the tomatoes, simmer for a while, and finally season with basil and other spices to taste.

In a saucepan, we melt butter over medium heat, then add flour and start mixing immediately. Once a paste forms, we add milk and stir. We try to eliminate all the lumps. Once we achieve that, we grate a bit of nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

If we choose a gluten-free béchamel, its preparation becomes even easier. In a small pot, we heat the milk (being careful not to burn it), add processed cheese and parmesan, and wait for everything to melt. We season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Now it’s time to layer. First, we grease a baking dish with oil and put a little béchamel on the bottom. Then we add a layer of zucchini, followed by the meat mixture, and again béchamel (if we have enough cheese, we can sprinkle some on as well). We should end up with three layers, but it depends on the size of our dish.

"We place the layered lasagna into the oven. After twenty minutes, we sprinkle cheese on top and wait for it to melt and turn golden brown. After taking it out of the oven, it’s good to wait a moment before slicing; the dish will set better and be easier to work with."