Anthony Spirito' s Zucchini Lasagna

Enough for 4 large or six smaller individual servings Cookware needed: 1 8x8 square baking dish Mandolin/vegetable slicer Cookie sheet Parchment paper Ingredients: For the tomato sauce: Crushed tomatoes – 1 28 oz. can Garlic – 2 cloves minced Onion – half of a medium, chopped Dry red wine – half cup Olive oil – 2 tbsp. Basil – 5 leaves (fresh) OR 1 tbsp. (dry) Bay leaf - 1 Oregano – 1 pinch dry Salt – 1 tsp. Black pepper 1 tsp.

For the lasagna Zucchini – 4 medium size Ground meat – 1lb (your choice: beef, pork, etc.) browned, drained Whole milk ricotta – 8 oz. Egg – 1 beaten Parmigiano Reggiano – or other dry grated cheese of your choice ¼ cup Mozzarella – 1 16 oz. package diced. Directions: Make the sauce: • • In a medium sized Dutch oven or pot, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place over medium high

heat. • • To the hot oil, add the onion and allow to cook and stir frequently 4-5 minutes until translucent/tender • • Add the garlic and half the basil and cook until fragrant. • • Add the crushed tomatoes and the wine. Be sure to stir frequently. Lower the heat to medium • • Add the rest of the basil, oregano, salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Stir. • • Partially cover and allow to cook/simmer gently for approx. 30 minutes or to your liking. Make zucchini slices: • • While the sauce is cooking, make your zucchini slices using the mandolin. Slices should be about ¼ inch

thick. Use all 4 zucchini • • On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper arrange the zucchini flat and side-by-side overlapping

them slightly. Salt them and pepper them on both sides. • • Place them in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes to help partially dehydrate them. • • After 20 minutes, remove them from the oven and turn all of them. • • Place them back in the oven for another 10 minutes. • • Remove them from the oven, set them aside and let them cool. Brown the ground meat Mix half the grated cheese, egg, and ricotta together in a bowl. Assemble the lasagna: • • Preheat oven to 375F • • Coat all sides of the baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil. • • Ladle a bit of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, being sure to spread it evenly. • • Begin placing/fitting a layer of the zucchini slices on the bottom of the dish until the bottom is covered. • • Ladle another bit of sauce over the zucchini, spreading it evenly. Then sprinkle a bit of grated cheese

over the layer you just made • • Sprinkle about half the browned ground meat over the layer, then spread the ricotta cheese mixture

over it, spreading it evenly. Then sprinkle a handful of mozzarella. • • Place another layer of zucchini slices in the dish and repeat the same process. • • Place the last layer of zucchini on top, sprinkling it with the remaining grated cheese, mozzarella, and

the spreading a layer of sauce over the top. • • Cover the lasagna tightly with aluminum foil. • • Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes • • Remove from oven and remove aluminum foil. Return to oven for another 15 minutes to brown the

mozzarella

Remove from the oven and allow to cool 25-30 minutes.