Pasta-free lasagna: layers of thinly sliced zucchini, spinach, feta and golden-baked pecorino, with no béchamel or tomato sauce.
Fresh from the oven, the zucchini glistens beneath a golden pecorino crust. The spinach melts between the layers, the feta adds saltiness, the walnuts bring crunch and the lemon zest lends a fresh note. Zucchini slices replace the pasta sheets, with no béchamel or tomato sauce. For two servings, allow about 45 minutes, including 30 minutes of baking at 200 °C. This recipe joins my collection of keto main dishes.
What is keto zucchini lasagna?
Lasagna consists of layers assembled and then baked until the top browns and the filling holds together. This version keeps that structure but replaces the pasta with thin zucchini slices, arranged in three layers in a lightly oiled loaf pan.
The filling combines spinach wilted in a skillet and then thoroughly drained, two beaten eggs, 100 g of crumbled feta and a spoonful of olive oil. Grated pecorino goes into each layer and forms a golden crust on top. The result is more tender and juicier than pasta-based lasagna.
The idea behind this version
This is an everyday dish, layered and baked until golden, that puts vegetables first. A loaf pan creates a tall, neatly shaped dish for two servings without spreading the filling out in a large baking dish. Without pasta, the recipe contains significantly fewer carbohydrates, around 4 g net per serving, up to 15 to 20 g depending on the actual weight of the onion, zucchini, walnuts and cheeses.
The main ingredients
Zucchini replaces the pasta: thin, even slices cook uniformly. The 300 g of fresh spinach form the vegetable heart of the dish, added in batches and then thoroughly drained. Onion cooked until translucent provides a mellow base, reinforced by the 4 pressed garlic cloves. For another way to use garlic, try these fried garlic noodles.
The feta is divided: 100 g beaten with the eggs to bind the filling, and 50 g crumbled on top. The 100 g of pecorino, divided into three portions at the start, add saltiness, umami and a golden crust. The two eggs hold the filling together, the walnuts add crunch, and the lemon zest, thyme, rosemary, paprika and pepper provide flavor. Since feta and pecorino are already salty, the recipe calls for no added salt.
Technique and serving tips
Success comes down to layering and managing moisture. Cut the zucchini into thin slices, wilt the spinach and then drain it before adding it to the egg and feta mixture. Build three layers in a lightly oiled loaf pan: for the first two, zucchini, spinach-feta mixture and pecorino; for the last, zucchini, spinach-feta mixture, remaining feta, walnuts and the final portion of pecorino.
Bake at 200 °C for about 30 minutes: the zucchini should be tender, the filling set and the top golden; color alone is not enough to judge whether the center is cooked. A short rest makes slicing easier. Serve with a green salad dressed with a lemon or mustard vinaigrette. Cool leftovers quickly, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days and reheat in the oven to crisp up the topping.
For everyday keto cooking, here are all my low-carb recipes.
Zucchini Lasagna with Spinach and Feta
Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini
- 300 g fresh spinach
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 150 g feta
- 100 g Pecorino
- 2 eggs
- 2 small handfuls walnuts
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 generous splash avocado oil, mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil for cooking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Thinly slice the onion and sauté it in the frying pan with a splash of oil until translucent.1 large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 generous splash avocado oil, mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil
- Wash the lemon and grate its zest. Add along with the herbs and spices.1 lemon, zest only, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 pinch black pepper
- Add the spinach gradually (about two handfuls at a time). The first two handfuls take a little longer to wilt. Tuck the next handfuls under the hot, already wilted leaves. This makes each batch wilt a little faster.300 g fresh spinach
- Meanwhile, grate the Pecorino. Divide into 3 roughly equal piles.100 g Pecorino
- Cut the zucchini into thin slices. They won’t all be equally long and neat, but that’s fine: you’ll also need small or narrow slices for each layer.1 large zucchini
- Mash 100 grams of feta finely and beat with the eggs and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. The mixture doesn’t need to be completely smooth. The remaining 50 grams of feta will go on top of the lasagna later.150 g feta, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Once all the spinach has wilted, drain the excess liquid from the pan. Use a colander or sieve if needed.
- Stir the drained spinach into the egg/feta mixture.
- Now assemble the lasagna in three layers. I use a loaf pan. This lets you build taller layers without having to make lots of servings at once, as you would in a baking dish.
- Very lightly grease the loaf pan with a few drops of olive oil. Place a third of the zucchini slices in the bottom of the loaf pan. The slices don’t need to cover the entire bottom.
- Spread a third of the spinach/feta mixture over the top. Sprinkle a third of the Pecorino over it.
- Cover again with a third of the zucchini, followed by the spinach/feta and Pecorino. Then add another layer of zucchini and spinach/feta.
- Finish with the remaining feta, crumble the walnuts over the top (you can do this by hand) and finally add the last portion of Pecorino.2 small handfuls walnuts
- Bake for half an hour.
