No Noodle Lasagna

Lasagna... cheesy, greasy, carbs, filling, un-healthy.... delicious ;-) Those are some of the words that come to mind when I think about this Italian delight. I love lasagna, but I don't like the feeling it gives me AFTER I chow down... it's that "rock in the pit of your tummy" feeling. The carb overload is never a good thing. SO... why not skip the noodles, swap the fatty piles of cheese and add in nutritious veggies? I gave it a shot and WOW... it was fantastic! This NO NOODLE LASAGNA has all of the yummy taste of the traditional dish, without the yucky feeling afterward. Best part is, one serving has less than 400 calories!

NO NOODLE LASAGNA

What you need:

4-5 medium zucchini

1LB lean ground beef

1 small yellow onion

1C cottage cheese

1 egg

1C low-fat shredded mozzarella

1 jar tomato sauce (low sugar - 6 grams max per serving)

optional veggie additions: mushrooms, spinach, bell pepper, garlic

spices: oregano, salt, pepper

How to:

Preheat oven to 350.

Slice zucchini (about 1/8th inch). Grill (this is important because it soaks out some of the moisture in the veggie). Blot zucchini with paper towel to remove access water. *This step can be done ahead of time. I actually used the George Foreman grill instead of firing up the real grill.

Cook onion, meat & additional veggies on skillet. Add spices. Let meat cook completely. Add sauce & let simmer about 15 minutes.

Mix cottage cheese with egg.

Spray cooking dish (9x13) with non-stick spray. Layer 1/2 zucchini, 1/2 meat sauce, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture... then repeat. Top with mozzarella. Cover with foil & bake 50 minutes. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Let lasagna set out and cool about 10 minutes before serving.