If you’re craving homemade lasagna but are looking for a lower carb option, you’ll absolutely love this ground turkey zucchini lasagna recipe! It uses real zucchini instead of lasagna noodles yet has all the same meaty, cheesy filling you know and love.
Table of Contents
Zucchini Lasagna with Ground Turkey
Lasagna is a classic comfort food recipe, but have you ever tried zucchini lasagna? This turkey zucchini lasagna uses zucchini noodles as an alternative to regular lasagna noodles, which are the perfect low-carb alternative. The best part is, you don’t even miss the noodles!
Plus, using lean ground turkey lightens up the whole dish! It’s a fantastic lightened up way to enjoy your favorite flavors and get an extra dose of nutrients too!
Why We Love This Turkey Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
- So flavorful: The great thing about traditional lasagna is all the flavors. That saucy tomato filling has tons of flavor from the herbs and spices, and everything pairs perfectly with the cheesy ricotta mixture. Every bite tastes amazing!
- Low carb recipe: Since the zucchini strips are much lower in carbohydrates than regular noodles, this turkey vegetable lasagna is a naturally low carb recipe.
- Ultimate comfort food: Warm noodles, a flavorful turkey meat sauce, and a creamy cheese filling…what’s not to love? This zucchini noodle lasagna is so cozy and comforting, even without the pasta!
Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini: Start by cutting the zucchini into small strips. Unlike other recipes that use zucchini boats, we’ll use a vegetable peeler or knife to cut long, thin strips from fresh zucchini.
- Salt: Although you’ll also use salt to season this low carb zucchini lasagna, the salt will help pull the excess moisture from the tender zucchini.
- Olive oil: Use this to brown the ground turkey and toast the seasonings. Avocado oil works great, too.
- Garlic cloves: These add a delicious savory flavor and incredible aroma.
- Fennel seeds: Although you might not have fennel on hand, it adds an amazing aromatic flavor that reminds you of the best Italian sausage.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Feel free to adjust the quantities to suit your preferences, but a little heat pairs perfectly with the ground meat and spices.
- Ground turkey: Choose raw or fully thawed ground turkey. Extra-lean ground beef works great, too.
- Marinara sauce: Select a low-salt marinara sauce with no added sugars or make your own marinara sauce.
- Ricotta cheese: This adds a creaminess that’s so satisfying in this noodle-free lasagna. Feel free to choose fat-free or full-fat depending on your nutritional preferences.
- Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese: This cheese will melt in between each of layer of zucchini strips. It just might be the best part!
- Egg: Egg will hold the ricotta mixture together so it doesn’t become too loose.
- Ground nutmeg: This adds a really nice aroma that balances the rich, tomato-y sauce.
- Whole wheat bread crumbs: Since zucchini has so much moisture, these breadcrumbs will absorb any excess moisture and add a little texture. Feel free to use gluten-free bread crumbs or keto bread crumbs instead.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese: Sprinkle some Parmesan on top right before baking and let it bubble and brown in the oven.
- Fresh basil: This is an optional garnish, but it adds a nice freshness that pairs well with the rich filling.
How to Make Zucchini Lasagna – Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Zucchini
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Use a mandolin slicer or a large sharp knife to slice the zucchini into long strips, about a ¼ inch thick. Lay zucchini strips on some paper towel in a single layer. Sprinkle both sides of the zucchini strips lightly with salt, and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow them to sweat out their moisture.
- Use fresh paper towel to wipe the salt and moisture from the zucchini strips. Gently squeeze the strips between the fresh paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Step 2: Make the Turkey Meat Sauce
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook and stir until the meat is browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and continue to cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Combine the Cheese Mixture
- In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the ricotta, mozzarella, egg and nutmeg.
Step 4: Layer and Bake!
- Build the lasagna by sprinkling the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 1 teaspoon of whole-wheat bread crumbs. Lay 1/3 of the zucchini slices in the bottom of the pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon 1/3 of the turkey mixture over them, then spread half the cheese mixture over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon breadcrumbs, and then layer with half of the remaining zucchini slices. Spoon half of the remaining turkey mixture over them, and then spread the rest of the cheese mixture over the top. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon bread crumbs. Finish with remaining turkey sauce mixture. Sprinkle lightly with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until bubbling, about 50 minutes. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable turkey zucchini lasagna recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- Don’t skip the step where you remove the excess moisture from the strips of zucchini. This is key for a less watery zucchini lasagna.
- Allow the final dish to sit for at least 10 minutes after cooking to allow some of the juices to reabsorb into the lasagna.
Recipe FAQs
The secret to the best zucchini lasagna is to remove as much water from the vegetable as possible. To make the best zucchini lasagna, you need to salt the zucchini strips on a towel to have them weep out as much moisture as possible before squeezing them with another towel. Be patient and focus on the process, not the clock, for the best results.
Every cook has a different answer to this because it really comes down to personal preference. The most important thing is to start by adding some sauce to the bottom of your baking dish. Then, add your first layer of noodles. You can either add the meat sauce or the cheese mixture next. Since the meat sauce is heavy, it can help to add it first, then the lighter cheese filling. Add the next layer of noodles, and repeat.
If you’re making a low-carb lasagna with zucchini, you’ll want to add a layer of breadcrumbs below each layer of zucchini noodles instead of sauce to absorb extra liquid.
There’s no rule that you have to use meat in lasagna. You can use just marinara sauce or try replacing the meat with finely minced mushrooms cooked in a hot pan until they dry out and become golden brown. You can also add lentils for a little texture and extra fiber. Roasted vegetables like zucchini, onions, and eggplant also taste great and would be perfect in a vegetarian lasagna.
Absolutely! Turkey lasagna with zucchini is a great freezer meal. Be sure to let the lasagna cool to room temperature first, then freeze individual servings in an airtight container. Thaw and reheat in the microwave until it is fully heated through.
Storage Guidelines
Let your turkey and vegetable lasagna cool at room temperature for up to 2 hours, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap to store it in the fridge. You can also portion out individual servings into an airtight container. Leftover zucchini lasagna will last for 3-4 days.
To reheat, simply microwave your serving for 2-3 minutes until fully warmed or bake it at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This healthy zucchini lasagna is a complete meal on its own, but you can easily serve it with these delicious sides or appetizers:
Recipe Variations
- Make it with cottage cheese: Skip the ricotta and use cottage cheese for extra protein.
- Slow cooker zucchini lasagna: Follow the instructions like normal, but build your lasagna directly into your slow cooker. Cook on high for approximately 2-3 hours.
- Keto lasagna: Skip the regular breadcrumbs and use keto breadcrumbs instead.
- Eggplant lasagna: Roast thin pieces of eggplant to use in place of the zucchini.
- Add spinach: Crumble up a bag of frozen spinach into the marinara sauce for extra nutrients.
More Similar Recipes
- Lazy Lasagna Soup Recipe
- Eggplant Parmesan without Egg
- Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta
- One Pan Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
- Healthy Vegetarian Pasta Salad
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Ground Turkey Zucchini Lasagna Recipe {Low Carb}
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchinis washed but not peeled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound ground turkey (or sub in extra-lean ground beef)
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon whole-wheat bread crumbs can also sub in gluten-free bread crumbs, if necessary
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
To garnish (optional)
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Use a microplane slicer or a large sharp knife to slice the zucchini into long strips, about a ¼ inch thick. Lay zucchini strips on some paper towel in a single layer. Sprinkle both sides of the zucchini strips lightly with salt, and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow them to sweat out their moisture.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook and stir until the meat is browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and continue to cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the ricotta, mozzarella, egg and nutmeg.
- Use fresh paper towel to wipe the salt and moisture from the zucchini strips. Gently squeeze the strips between the fresh paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Build the lasagna by sprinkling the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 1 teaspoon of whole-wheat bread crumbs. Lay 1/3 of the zucchini slices in the bottom of the pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon 1/3 of the marinara sauce over them, then spread half the cheese mixture over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon breadcrumbs, and then layer with half of the remaining zucchini slices. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over them, and then spread the rest of the cheese mixture over the top. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon bread crumbs. Finish with remaining marinara sauce mixture. Sprinkle lightly with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until bubbling, about 50 minutes. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in January 2017 but was updated in October 2023 to include more helpful tips and photos.
I made this recipe for some neighbors and myself. We had a group supper and I made the zucchini lasagna. It was a pure delight. It was so delicious!! One of the neighbors has diabetes and was able to eat this worry free. Thank you so much. I will continue exploring your many recipes.
So happy you and your neighbours enjoyed the lasagna Betty! It’s one of my favourites for serving a crowd! I appreciate you stopping by to comment :)