Zucchini Noodle Lasagna and Other Ways To Use Up Your Summer Squash Surplus
Is anyone sick of zucchini yet? Summer has just begun but if you are growing summer squash, you are probably already drowning in it! You can only make so much zucchini bread and fritters, so what other creative uses are there for zucchini? My absolute favorite thing to do with it is chop it up and saute it with butter, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt. I love the flavor of zucchini and I enjoy tasting it as is. Another favorite of mine is our a Zucchini Ribbon Salad that we make often for Corporate Wellness Lunch and Learns and it’s always a huge hit. While I was searching back through our blog for that recipe, I realized that we have posted about this the zucchini abundance issue every summer since 2012. I guess this really is a problem (a good problem) every year! So here is a roundup of our zucchini recipes, followed by our latest favorite for lasagna.
Zucchini Noodle Lasagna
INGREDIENTS
- Basil-Cashew Cheese
- 1 cup unsalted cashews
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Artichoke-Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 8-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 1 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- Zucchini Lasagna
- 6 medium zucchinis
- Coarse salt
- Fresh basil, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Basil-Cashew Cheese: Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse well. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth.
- Artichoke-Tomato Sauce: Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add diced onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, until onions are softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Next, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, artichoke hearts and basil leaves. Season with red pepper flakes, sea salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice each zucchini into ⅛-inch thick slices. Salt the zucchini slices heavily and set aside for 20 minutes to drain the water out. Squeeze as much water out of the zucchini slices as possible.
4. Spread a few tablespoons sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Lay 4-5 zucchini slices side-by-side on the bottom of the dish. If you’re slices aren’t long enough for the entire casserole you can add another vertical row or place some slices horizontally to fill the space.
5. Top the slices with ½ cup sauce and ¼ cup cashew cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with a final layer of sauce and cheese. Garnish with more fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil
6. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes and then bake, uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the lasagna is golden brown. Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
