This zucchini lasagna features layers of caramelized squash in a hearty, creamy tomato sauce and dollops of ricotta cheese.

This zucchini lasagna features layers of caramelized squash in a hearty, creamy tomato sauce and dollops of ricotta cheese.

I’m still seeing summer squash at the market, so I wanted to squeeze this gem of a dinner in before everything turns to pumpkins and spice.

When making a classic lasagna, usually I make two sauces, tomato and a bechamel (one of the French mother sauces consisting of butter, flour and milk) or sometimes Mornay sauce, which is simply bechamel enriched with cheese. Because I was already venturing into the wild by substituting the noodles for caramelized slabs of zucchini, it didn’t feel like it was too much of a stretch to skip the two sauces and instead make a single creamy tomato sauce spiked with cooked ground beef, fire-roasted poblano and a hint of nutmeg.

Everything about putting this lasagna together feels a bit faster and easier. Instead of seasoning the ricotta cheese with herbs and spices, this time I just scooped it straight out of the tub after draining excess water and left the job of seasoning to the sauce. You’ll also notice we don’t fuss with trying to make the zucchini take on the thin shape of noodles. When the zucchini is allowed to stay a little thicker, not only does it caramelize well in the pan, once it’s cooked it slices like silk and adds a luscious bite of zucchini flavor and texture instead of getting lost in the rich delights of a hearty sauce and cheese.

If you wanted to make this vegetarian, you could easily skip the ground beef. Either way, you could add an array of other vegetables and greens like mushrooms, eggplant, cauliflower, roasted bell peppers, arugula or spinach. The only thing to remember when adding additional vegetables is that cooking them first is almost always the way to go, resulting in a wonderfully flavorful and saucy lasagna without too much water leaking out from the vegetables.

The other thing to keep in mind is that you can use a standard 9-by-13-inch pan as I did here, but you can really use a variety of sizes of baking dishes (or even a cast-iron skillet), depending on how thin or thick you want your lasagna to be. The thickness will have an effect on the cooking time, so keep this in mind as you choose your dish for cooking.

You’ll notice there is no strict rule about how many slices of zucchini you have or how many layers you build or what layer ends up last. If you have a bit of sauce or ricotta left over, you can dollop and pour these over the top before topping the entire dish with mozzarella and baking. This is a forgiving lasagna that is extra saucy and full of bright flavors of summer squash without the need for perfect, orderly layers. We have, after all, more important things to do, like getting outside during one of the most gorgeous times of the year.

For the tomato meat sauce:

1 28-ounce can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

2 fire-roasted poblanos, peeled, seeded and diced

Salt and pepper to taste

3-5 zucchinis, depending on size, sliced lengthwise into quarter-inch slices

1 tub of whole milk ricotta cheese, drained of excess water (around 2 cups)

1 cup fresh basil leaves, for slicing and garnish

Preparation: First let’s get the sauce on. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high heat, add the butter. After a minute, add the ground beef with a pinch of salt, pepper and the nutmeg. Stir frequently and break up the meat into pieces with a spoon. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the meat browns. In the last minute or so of cooking, turn the heat to low so the tomato sauce doesn’t splash out as you add it. Now add the crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, carrot, poblanos, sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper along with a sprig of fresh basil, and turn the heat up, bringing the sauce to a boil. Once the sauce comes to a boil, cover with a lid and lower the heat, letting the sauce simmer for a half-hour. Remove the basil sprig, turn off the heat, stir in the cream and Parmesan cheese, and keep to the side.

To prepare the zucchini, place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, sear the slices of zucchini on both sides until they have a bit of caramelization on both sides. Repeat this process until all the zucchini slices are seared. Reserve.

To build and cook the lasagna, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spoon some sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, just enough to coat the bottom. Place a layer of zucchini slices down. Now top with generous dollops of ricotta cheese. Then top with more sauce, another layer of zucchini and repeat this process until you have used all the zucchini. Top with remaining ricotta or sauce if you have any. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top and bake for 45 minutes, until the lasagna is hot and bubbling all the way through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Garnish with freshly sliced basil.

Marianne Sundquist is a chef and writer who in 2020 co-founded Stokli, an online general store. Email her at marianne@stokli.com.

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