Cheesy Gluten-Free “Lasagna” Recipe

Cheesy Gluten-Free Lasagna

As your main meal, or a side dish

This Cheesy Gluten-Free Lasagna dish can be served as a main meal with a side salad, or as a side paired with your favorite chicken or fish recipe.

A few health benefits of this dish

Ricotta cheese is made from cow, goat, sheep, or even water buffalo milk, using whey, the watery, nutrient-dense byproduct of producing other cheeses like mozzarella (1).  Whey is a complete protein source, containing all the essential amino acids we need from our food.  This lower-calorie cheese has a favorable calcium-to-phosphorus ratio to support proper bone structure, metabolism, and gene expression (1).  Whole-milk ricotta is a good source of vitamins B12 and A, as well as zinc, for healthy red blood cells, eyesight, bones, DNA synthesis, and immune and nervous system functions (2). 

Zucchini is a squash and a member of the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae) that is an excellent source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient necessary for collagen synthesis, wound healing, neurotransmitter function, and protein metabolism (3).  As a rich source of antioxidants, like carotenoids, zucchini consumption helps support skin, eye, and heart health (4).  Rich in water and supplying both soluble and insoluble fibers, zucchini consumption aids healthy digestion as water softens stool, soluble fiber feeds beneficial gut bacteria, and insoluble fiber helps move food through the digestive system (5).

Cheesy Gluten-Free “Lasagna” Recipe:

Organic Ingredients:

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

12 ounces spinach

15 ounces ricotta cheese

1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

25 ounces marinara sauce

4 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch planks

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Garnish with basil and or parsley

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Coat the bottom of an 8-by-8 glass baking dish with marinara sauce.

Use a skillet and cook the mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the spinach, and cook another 3 minutes.

Building the “lasagna”:  place a layer of zucchini planks on the bottom of the baking dish.  Top this layer with about 1/3 of the veggie mixture, 1/3 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the Parmesan, and 1/3 of the marinara sauce.  Continue this process until all ingredients have been used.

Bake the “lasagna” for about 45 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese begins to brown.

Cool for about 10 minutes, garnish with the herbs (basil/parsley), and serve.