Roasted Zucchini and Sausage Lasagna with Garlic Oregano Breadcrumbs
the ultimate lasagna filled with roasted zucchini, sausage, goat cheese, and topped with garlic oregan breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- 3-4 small zucchini squash sliced lenghwhies, 1/4 inch thick
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 Tbsp later
- kosher salt & black pepper
- 3 tsp dried oregano, divided
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic (about 4 cloves), divided
- 10 oz no boil flat lasagna noodles
- 1 lb. mild chicken sausage, removed from casings
- 16 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 8 oz plain goat cheese (at room temperature)
- 2 xl eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional), divided
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 40 oz Rao's Marinara Sauce
- 1 lb. fresh mozzarella
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet (or two if needed, don't crowd the pans) with the sliced zucchini, leaving a little space between them. Drizzle them evenly with olive oil, salt, pepper, 1 tsp of the dried oregano, and some red pepper flakes (1 tsp, if desired). Roast for 20 minutes, then add 1 Tbsp of the minced garlic, roasting an additional 5-10 minutes until the zucchini is slightly golden and shrunken a bit. This is the sign that the vegetables won't make the lasagna watery. Set the zucchini aside to cool a bit before assembly.
- Set the oven temp to 350 degrees. Fill a large baking dish with the hottest tap water, and slide the lasagna noodles into the water, one by one to prevent sticking. Allow them to soak for about 15 minutes until they are slightly softened, but not cooked.
- In a large saute pan, or sauce pot, cook the sausage in 1 Tbsp olive oil, breaking up into small pieces until no longer pink. Add the Rao's to the pot with the sausage, and cook over medium low heat for a few minutes to let the flavors meld. Set aside for assembly.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, beaten eggs, chopped basil, red pepper flakes (if using) and 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan (reserving the rest for topping). I use a whisk to break up the goat cheese into the ricotta, and it's important to have the goat cheese at room temperate so it combines evenly.
- When ready to assemble, make sure all of your ingredients are cooled enough to the touch. Starting with 1 1/2 cups of marinara, coat the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, then arrange the zucchini slices on top - this can be done in one or two layers, depending on how big your slices are. Lay the lasagna noodles on top of the zucchini, then top with 1/3 of the sliced mozzarella, and 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, in dollops to fit between the mozzarella. Repeat the process twice more, starting with the marinara, and finish with one final thick layer of marinara on the very top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, and either wrap the lasagna to bake later, or place in the oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. If cooking from the fridge or freezer, adjust the cooking time to accomodate (45-55 minutes should do it).
- While the lasagna is baking, toss the Panko in 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp of the chopped garlic, 1 tsp of the oregano, red pepper flakes (optional) and 1/2 tsp each of kosher salt and pepper into a small saute pan, heating to toast to a golden brown color. When ready to serve, sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs on top of the lasagna.
Notes
This recipe is extremely versatile and easy to make ahead. You can omit the sausage to make it vegetarian, and adjust the level of spice however you like. It works to bake directly from the fridge or freezer (just note extra baking times in the recipe).
The lasagna combines my favorite parts from several different recipes, making it what I consider the ultimate dish. Most notably, Ina Garten's Lasagna with Turkey Sausage https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/turkey-lasagna-recipe-1915666, and her Roasted Vegetable Lasagna https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/roasted-vegetable-lasagna. I also found inspiration for the breadcrumbs from Half Baked Harvest, which might be the best part (Tieghan uses these on many recipes, here is her blog) https://www.halfbakedharvest.com .