My husband and I were able to visit Italy a few years ago and oh my goodness, I thought I loved Italian food before the trip! I am a pasta lover which also means I’m a carb lover. Lately, I’ve been on the hunt for lower carb meals and this one was the ticket!
THE INGREDIENTS
// serves 4 //
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cups marinara sauce
4-5 medium sized zucchini
1 (16 oz) container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
THE PROCESS
Brown the ground beef in a large frying pan. Drain if needed, then add 1 3/4 cups of the marinara sauce, mix, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix ricotta, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, and salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
Cut off both ends of each zucchini and slice them lengthwise in about 1/8 inch strips. This can can take some practice. A mandolin would be very useful here!
Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
Assembly time! Spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture along each zucchini strip, then add a layer of the meat and marinara mixture. Roll it up gently without squeezing too much out and place in pan. Repeat until your pan is full!
Spread the remaining parmesan and mozzarella on the top.
Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and zucchini is tender! Enjoy!
// Adapted from a recipe found on Delish.com //