When you list all the recipes that can help you in your weight loss journey, lasagna is probably not at the top of that list. That’s because traditional lasagna recipes tend to call for ingredients that are high in calories and saturated fat.
With just a few ingredient swaps, we were able to reduce the calorie count significantly in this Low-Calorie & High-Protein Zucchini Lasagna. This recipe manages to save not only calories but also carbohydrates by replacing the lasagna noodles with zucchini. And to reduce the saturated fat content, we chose low-fat beef and cheese.
Low-Calorie & High-Protein Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 1 h 10 min | Serves: 6
Meat Sauce
+ 1 tbsp olive oil
+ 1 onion, diced
+ 4 garlic cloves, minced
+ 1 lb (450 g) ground beef, extra lean
+ 1 cup crushed tomatoes
+ 2 bay leaves
+ 1 tsp dried oregano
+ sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Zucchini Lasagna
+ 3 zucchini
+ 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
+ 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
+ 1 cup ricotta cheese
+ 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
+ 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
To make the meat sauce: Cook onion in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ground beef, and cook until no longer pink, 6 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil leaves, and season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes.
To make the zucchini lasagna: Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Slice the zucchini noodles using a knife or a mandoline slicer. In a baking dish, layer zucchini noodles, top with mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, meat sauce, and ricotta. Repeat this twice and top with shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving and enjoy!
| calories | carbs | fat | protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 288 | 12.3 g | 13 g | 31.1 g |