A Note Before You Start
While I’m calling this a lasagna, there are no lasagna noodles in it. It’s a side dish that is layered like lasagna and then baked.
Ingredients
4 medium zucchinis
2 16 oz bags of frozen spinach (I used the bags from Trader Joe’s) defrosted and excess water squeezed out.
1 medium sweet onion
1 package of prosciutto (also from Trader Joe’s).
2 cups of shredded mozzarella
1& 1/2 cup of ricotta
½ cup of parmesan (freshly grated is best but if you’re short on time, use what you have.)
2 TBSP of fresh basil leaves julienned (cut into slivers)
4 medium tomatoes
½ cup of bread crumbs (optional)
2 TBSP of butter (divided)
2 TBSP of olive oil (divided)
½ tsp of garlic powder
Salt and Pepper
Preparation
Step 1:
Wash and pat dry the zucchinis and cut off the tops and bottoms. In a food processor fitted with a shredding blade, shred all the zucchini. Place the shredded zucchini in a fine mesh colander and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and mix together. The salt will draw out the excess water preventing a soggy dish. Set aside.
Step 2:
Dice the onion, and set aside. Next, julienne the prosciutto and set it aside. Slice the tomatoes and set aside also.
Step 3:
Turn the heat onto medium and in a large sauté pan, melt 1 TBSP butter with 1 TBSP of olive oil. Sauté the onions until translucent (about 2 minutes). Add the prosciutto and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the frozen, drained chopped spinach and season with garlic powder.
Remove to a plate.
Step 4:
Squeeze out any remaining water from the zucchini that has been draining with a clean dry cloth (cheese cloth if you have it, which I didn’t). In the same saute pan, add the remaining butter and olive oil and turn on the heat to medium. Sauté all the zucchini and add salt and pepper to season. When there is no more liquid in the pan, turn off the heat.
Step 5:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the cheeses together and the basil in a separate bowl.
Step 6:
I brushed some olive oil on the bottom of my 9 & ½” x 9 & ½” baking pan and sprinkled about 2 TBSP of the bread crumbs on the bottom. The reason for this is two fold: the breadcrumbs would absorb any excess liquid, and also prevent the first layer of zucchini from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Step 7:
Spread a layer of sauteed zucchini and top with a layer of the cheese mixture. Next a layer of the spinach and prosciutto mixture. Repeat these two steps. Top with sliced tomatoes and the remaining breadcrumbs (if using). Bake for 25 minutes. Enjoy!