Recently a friend and I were talking about meals we make just for ourselves. I was pretty excited about an eggplant dish I made when I was alone (no one else in my family is that into eggplant) She reminded me of this zucchini lasagna that was at my wedding shower. Her husband doesn’t like zucchini so she never makes it. I thought it would be perfect to go with this week’s zucchini and next time we get eggplant I will share my dish.
Are there any meals you’re making just for you?
You will need:
2 lbs of firm, unblemished zucchini (6 small or 4 medium)
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp EV olive oil
12 or so slices of day-old Italian or country bread
6 cups (at least) of tomato sauce
2 cups of grated cheese, or more to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 deg. I use a clear 9×13 inch Pyrex baking dish for this.
Rinse and dry the zucchini, slice off the two ends, and cut very thin lengthwise slices, about 1/8” thick. Put them in a large bowl and sprinkle them with the salt and the olive oil.
Slice the loaf of bread into ½” thick slices. If the bread is fresh, you can dry it briefly in the oven, but don’t toast it. Day-old or defrosted bread works well. It should not be from a small baguette or ciabatta bread (I like plain Italian bread from the bakery). Place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer bread slices on the bottom of the dish, fitting them together so they cover it almost completely. Some small spaces are OK. Spoon about 2 cups of sauce over the bread slices and spread it evenly. Next use half of the zucchini slices on top of the bread. Overlap the slices to make a layer that completely covers the sauce. Press down gently to make room for the next two layers in the pan and to help the sauce soak into the bread. Spread just a little sauce over the zucchini and then top with about one cup of the grated cheese. Repeat the layer of bread, zucchini, sauce and cheese again. The top layer should have a really generous layer of cheese on it.
Cover the dish with a tent of foil, or use the non-stick kind so that the cheese does not peel off when you uncover it after cooking it. Bake the lasagna for about 45 minutes and then remove the foil cover for another 20 minutes or so, until the top is set and golden brown. I use a glass dish so I can see that it is heated all the way through. Let the lasagna set for at least 15 minutes, longer if you want as it stays hot for some time. I let it sit up to an hour. It is easier to cut, serve, and eat. Enjoy!
