It’s that time of year again— stress levels are mounting, sleep has become a foreign concept, and finding a seat at the library is now the sole priority in life. That’s right ladies, finals have arrived!
With endless amounts of projects and exams, it’s nothing short of a miracle if we are able to find just a few minutes in our day to catch up with each other. Our nightly chats and leisurely meals have turned into quick hellos on our way out the door— all while shoveling in gourmet dinners of protein bars, cereal and anything labeled “ready in 3 minutes”.
We’ll admit it; even we foodies are guilty of slacking on wholesome and flavorful meals when this time of the year hits. However, fear not Collegiettes! This week we are back on our game with the perfect recipe to get you through the hectic days ahead: Zucchini Lasagna.
What screams comfort food more than a bubbling pan of lasagna? Not to mention, this version of lasagna uses antioxidant-packed zucchini as opposed to traditional noodles. With all the added Vitamin A and C, this dish will help keep your immune system up during finals, so you don’t get sick during such a crucial week. Let’s be honest, the last thing we need at this point is a cold!
Although this recipe takes a bit longer to make than our usual dishes, we think it offers the perfect excuse for a weekend study break! Since it is more involved, we recommend recruiting some of your friends to help you cook. It will give you the perfect opportunity to catch up over some lip-smacking-good food!
We got together with our friend Katie on Saturday to try out the recipe and, trust us on this one, it’s definitely worth the extra effort. The combination of cheese, ground turkey and zucchini was heavenly, to say the least. Luckily, this recipe makes such a large batch that we had more than half a pan left, even with our generous portions. We cut up the leftovers and stored them in single-servings. This way, we were able to grab them for quick, on-the-go dinners throughout the rest of the week!
So, take our advice ladies—put down those books and spend an hour or two in the kitchen with some friends. A little juicy conversation and a decadent meal could be just what you need to ace that exam!
Good Luck on your finals, Collegiettes! HCXO
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Zucchini Lasagna
Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey 93% lean
3 gloves of garlic (chopped)
½ onion
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp Italian seasoning
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
3 medium zucchini
15 oz part-skim ricotta
16 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese (shredded)
¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1 egg
Directions:
- In medium saucepan, brown meat and season with salt and pepper. When fully cooked, drain in colander to remove any fat. Leave meat in colander for next step.
- Add olive oil to the pan and sauté garlic and onions for about 2 minutes or until onions become slightly translucent and garlic starts to brown.
- Add meat back to pan. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes.
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- While the meat-tomato mixture simmers, slice zucchini into 1/8 thick slices or however thin you can get them. Lightly salt the slices and set them aside. After about 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with paper towel.
- Heat separate pan to grill zucchini slices on eat side. About 1-2 minutes per side. Place on paper towel after to soak up any remaining moisture.
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In medium bowl mix ricotta, parmesan and egg. Stir well to incorporate everything evenly.
- In 9×12 casserole dish, spread sauce on bottom and then layer zucchini slices to completely cover. Place cheese mixture on next layer and top with mozzarella cheese. Repeat process once more or until mixtures are completely used up. Top dish with sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375, then remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes
- Let stand for about 5-10 minutes before serving
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Helpful hints:
- Do not add extra water to tomato-meat mixture, the sauce should be thick!
- Don’t be shy about testing the meat mixture while adding salt and pepper. Give it a few tastes to know exactly how much seasoning you need.
- We strongly recommend making this dish with someone else. It is the perfect team-work dish and everything goes much smoother if you can have someone chopping vegetables, while the other works with the meat.
- Salting the zucchini after slicing it will help to take out a lot of the moisture. Zucchini have a lot of water when cooked so this is a great way to keep them from turning to mush.
- To get a lightly brown top like ours, place the dish in the broiler for a minute or so after baking. This will make the cheese topping nice and crispy!
- We paired our lasagna portions with some fresh asparagus, but feel free to add your own favorite side dish.
Enjoy, Ladies!