Welcome to Kelly’s Kitchen! Today’s recipe is a super easy, summer take on lasagna. Zucchini Pesto Lasagna uses thin strips of zucchini as noodles, layered with ground chicken and sun dried tomatoes sauced with fresh pesto. For the cheese, we have three types: cottage cheese takes the place of ricotta, then we have a layer of fresh mozzarella, and we top the lasagna with feta. It’s a Greek-inspired summer lasagna. Let’s get right to it!
The Summary
Today we are making a Mediterranean-inspired summer lasagna
Be sure to find the shoppable key ingredients and equipment at the end of the post
Zucchini Pesto Lasagna
1. Zucchini Prep
Begin by slicing two medium-sized zucchinis into thin strips with a Y-peeler. Lay the slices flat on a sheet of paper towel and top with another paper towel. Continue layering the zucchini slices and paper towels until all the zucchini slices are between paper towels. Let this sit while you prep the rest of the lasagna ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Make the pesto, click here for a recipe. Or you can use store-bought fresh pesto.
2. Ground Chicken
In a nonstick skillet, brown one pound of ground chicken or turkey, breaking it up as it cooks. Season with about 1 teaspoons of kosher salt. Once cooked through, add the drained sun dried tomatoes. Stir to combine and pull from the heat. Transfer the cooked chicken and sun dried tomatoes to a medium-sized bowl. Add the 1 cup of pesto to the chicken mixture and stir well to fully incorporate. Taste the mixture for seasoning and add more kosher salt if needed.
3. Assembling the Zucchini Pesto Lasagna
In an 8×8 or 9×9-inch casserole dish, spread a thin layer of the chicken pesto sauce. Then lay a layer of zucchini strips and follow that layer with a second layer of zucchini strips in the opposite direction.
Top that zucchini layer with another layer of the chicken pesto sauce. Then dollop spoonfuls of cottage cheese onto the chicken and pesto.
Repeat the layering of criss-crossed zucchini layers. Add another layer of the chicken pesto sauce and top that layer with the slices of fresh mozzarella.
Do one more layer of criss-crossed zucchini slices and top that last layer with crumbled block feta cheese.
Place the casserole dish on a sheet tray and slide into the preheated oven. Bake the Zucchini Pesto Lasagna, uncovered for 30 minutes. Pull from the oven and let sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Top the baked lasagna with fresh basil leaves and toasted pine nuts. Slice and serve!
I love this summertime take on lasagna. It’s very light, especially without the pasta; yet it’s very rich and flavorful. The freshness of the pesto goes a long way for making dish sing. The ground chicken adds protein and meatiness without feeling heavy at all. The feta adds a zing, while the fresh mozzarella and cottage cheese add smooth richness. Layering the zucchini slices in a double layer, criss-cross fashion gives this lasagna structure like noodles would. And you can taste the zucchini, it hasn’t cooked to mush, retaining a fresh texture.
I do hope you give this dish a try, it’s a unique take on a layered casserole, perfect for summer! Take care and be well, xo Kelly
Key Ingredients and Equipment
Y-Peeler | 8×8 Casserole Dish | 10-inch Nonstick Pan | Nonstick-Safe Slotted Spatula | Julienne Cut Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil
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