Easy Zucchini Lasagna Recipe (One-Skillet)

By: The Real Food Dietitians Updated: 8/3/22

This Zucchini Lasagna Recipe is a low-carb take on regular lasagna recipes and a fun twist on our also popular Easy Skillet Lasagna, which includes noodles. In this no-noodle version, thinly sliced zucchini gets cooked with fresh veggies, seasonings, ground beef, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Cooked in a large skillet, it’s simple to prepare and has all the classic flavor of lasagna you love for a family-friendly meal that’s hearty, flavorful, full of nutrients, and naturally gluten-free, too.

Drop The Noodles, Up The Veggies: Healthy Weeknight Zucchini Lasagna Recipe

Who doesn’t love lasagna? With its savory flavors, hearty beef, and lots of gooey cheese, it’s the ultimate comfort food. But what we don’t always love is how long traditional lasagna takes to make. From cooking the noodles to prepping the cheese filling, and cooking the beef filling separately, the whole process can take more than 2 hours. It’s not exactly a weeknight-friendly dish. Until now!

This best zucchini lasagna recipe proves that lasagna can be all those things you never thought it could be: fast, easy, and healthy! All the flavors you crave are included, but we dropped the lasagna noodles, added a ton of nutritious veggies to the mix, and cooked it all in a skillet instead of a baking dish. With minimal prep time, a cook time of 30 minutes, and a total time of less than an hour, dinner doesn’t get better than this.

Ingredients to Make This Keto Zucchini Lasagna Recipe

This one-pan keto lasagna is lower in carbohydrates than traditional lasagna, full of nutrients, and is made fresh and delicious ingredients, including:

• Ground beef – or use finely diced Italian sausage or ground turkey; we recommend using 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey
• Italian seasoning
• Extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil – our go-to oil staples are Primal Kitchen Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Primal Kitchen Pure Avocado Oil
• Zucchini – you’ll need 2 small to medium zucchini or 1 very large zucchini, which will get cut into half-moon shapes. If preferred, you could also slice them into zucchini noodles instead
• Mushrooms – use button or cremini mushrooms
• Yellow onion – you’ll need 1/2 medium yellow onion. Or, white onion can be substituted 
• Garlic cloves – or you can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Fresh spinach
• Fresh basil leaves
• Marinara sauce⁠ – you’ll need a 24-ounce jar; we like the marinara from Primal Kitchen.
• Balsamic vinegar – we love this Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
• Mozzarella cheese
• Cottage cheese – this replaces ricotta cheese, keeping the same taste and texture while adding a boost of extra protein and reducing the saturated fat. It’s also an excellent source of calcium. You can use full-fat or 2% fat cottage cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.⁠

How To Make Zucchini Lasagna With No Noodles

Here are the steps to make this easy zucchini lasagna recipe in just one large skillet:

1. Cook the beef. In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and seasonings. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Transfer the cooked beef to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Sauté the vegetables. Wipe out the skillet with a clean paper towel, and heat a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add the zucchini slices, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and a dash of salt and black pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the zucchini is tender. Stir in the spinach and basil, and sauté for another few minutes.
3. Combine the ingredients. Stir in the marinara sauce, balsamic vinegar, cooked beef, and 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese. Dollop the cottage cheese evenly on top, and let the mixture cook uncovered over low heat.
4. Add the cheese. Add the remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese mixture. Cover the skillet, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted. Or, preheat the broiler, and place the skillet under it until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown. To prevent any spilling, place the skillet on top of a baking sheet before transferring it to the oven.
5. Rest and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat, and let the lasagna rest before serving. Garnish with basil, additional Parmesan, and crushed red pepper flakes, and serve warm with a slotted spoon.

How To Prep Zucchini Lasagna Ahead

If you have a few extra minutes on the weekend, you can make weeknights even easier by prepping some ingredients ahead of time. This recipe works especially well, as several of the components can be done a few days in advance. To do so:

• Brown the ground beef, combine the meat sauce and refrigerate it in a covered container.
• Chop the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and refrigerate the veggies together in a covered container. To make the process really quick, use a mandolin or vegetable slicer to prepare the zucchini.

With these ingredients prepped and ready to go, you’ll be all set for a busy weeknight. You can start on Step 2 of the recipe below, and from there the whole thing will come together in about 25 minutes.

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

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