Servings: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey (we recommend 93/7)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch round slices, then halved or quartered (4 cups)
- 2 cups diced mushrooms
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (1/2 medium onion)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups packed fresh spinach
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup cottage cheese (full fat or 2%)
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Fine salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnishes: Crushed red pepper flakes, additional Parmesan, and/or roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until beef is no longer pink. Remove beef from skillet to a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Wipe out the same skillet with a paper towel and add a little olive oil. Once hot, add the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper. Sauté until onions are translucent and zucchini is tender; 7-9 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and basil; sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, balsamic vinegar, cooked ground beef, and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Next, dollop the cottage cheese evenly over top. Let cook on a low simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
- Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan; cover skillet and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Alternatively, you can place the skillet under the oven broiler until the cheese is melted and slightly browned; about 2 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat and let set for about 10 minutes, uncovered, before serving.
- Garnish with basil, additional Parmesan, and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve with a slotted spoon.
Notes
There will be some liquid at the bottom of the skillet, depending on how much water was released from the vegetables and the thickness of the marinara sauce you used. This is normal and fine. For this reason, serve scoops of the lasagna with a slotted spoon. Or, you could remove some of the liquid with a spoon or turkey baster, if you’d like. The water does not diminish the flavor or thickness of the dish.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 322
- Fat: 13 g
- (Sat Fat: 5 g)
- Sodium: 854 mg
- Carbohydrate: 20 g
- (Fiber: 4 g
- Sugar: 12 g)
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 78 mg