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Zucchini Lasagna with Ground Turkey

Ground turkey zucchini lasagna layered with roasted zucchini planks and a lean, herb-rich turkey sauce, finished with a golden mozzarella top. This low carb, lean lasagna no noodles uses a simple ricotta-egg layer for creamy slices.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Resting 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini
  • 4 large zucchini Slice into thin planks.
  • 1 tsp salt For sweating the zucchini; amount as listed.
Turkey Sauce
  • 1.5 lb ground turkey
  • 1 small onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic cloves Minced.
  • 1 can (24 oz) marinara sauce
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp fennel seeds Optional.
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.
Ricotta Layer
  • 2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 0.25 cup parmesan Grated.
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil Chopped.
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.
Cheese
  • 2.5 cup mozzarella cheese Shredded; use for layers and topping.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Roast the zucchini
  1. Salt the zucchini planks and let sit for 20 minutes, then pat completely dry. Roast on a sheet pan at 425°F for 10 minutes to drive off moisture.
Make the turkey sauce
  1. Cook the ground turkey with the diced onion in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Add the minced garlic, fennel seeds (if using), marinara, and Italian seasoning, then simmer for 10 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
Mix the ricotta layer
  1. Mix ricotta with the egg, grated parmesan, chopped basil, and salt and pepper until smooth and evenly combined.
Bake the lasagna
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Assemble by spreading 1/2 cup turkey sauce on the bottom, then layer zucchini planks, ricotta, turkey sauce, and shredded mozzarella; repeat and finish with turkey sauce and mozzarella on top.
  2. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes until deeply golden. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing to set the layers.

Notes

Pro tip: pat the zucchini planks very dry before roasting so the lasagna slices hold together instead of turning watery. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. Freezing is okay for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat. For a dairy swap that keeps the same structure, use lactose-free ricotta and lactose-free mozzarella if needed.