This Low Carb Lasagna has healthy zucchini "noodles" as its base---making for a nourishing and delicious alternative to traditional lasagna. It's a keto lasagna with dairy-free & egg-free options too so it's perfect for almost any special diet!
Grain-free Lasagna
Italian food is my favorite type of food--I'm not gonna lie. Lasagna is my second favorite Italian food (right behind spaghetti!).
Lasagna is also one of those foods that people don’t really want to make because:
1) it takes a million hours to make and
2) it’s loaded with carbs which many are trying to avoid these days, especially the refined carbs that make up most pasta noodles
Well, there are two great things about this grain-free lasagna recipe.
1) it doesn’t take a long time (I’ll share our secret with you) and
2) we swap out the carb-heavy noodles with healthy zucchini!
Okay here’s the time-saving secret… ready?! Make a big batch of easy marinara sauce beforehand and you'll cut your prep time significantly!
We make marinara sauce (and salsa) by the gallon and put it in the freezer or can it. We use it for spaghetti sauce, dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks, and even pizza sauce.
All you have to do is take out your pre-made marinara sauce, chop up and fry your zucchini, layer it together, and throw it in the oven. Tah dah!!
I hope you enjoy this grain free lasagna as much as we do!
Recipe Notes
- For Egg-Free option - Use 3 tsp Powdered Egg Replacer mixed with 4 Tbsp water; OR 2 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed mixed with 4 Tbsp warm water.
- For Dairy-Free option - I am going to be working on some cheese you could use, but in the meantime, try this Vegan Mozzarella (from coconut and suitable for low carb), this one (from cashews - cashews have a higher carb count so be careful with this if you are on a low-carb diet), or this one from dairy-free yogurt (not suitable for very low-carb diets).
- Homemade Chili Powder Option: My "Best" Basic Chili Powder is a great make-your-own option for chili powder.
- Sweetener Alternatives: You could use xylitol, organic sucanat, or 1 scoop stevia for low carb - see How to Use Stevia.
- Left Over Marinara: The Marinara Sauce in this recipe makes about 6-7 cups, but you only need 3 for the lasagna - save the rest for spaghetti!
- THM Details: This is an "S" for those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
- Keto / Low-carb: This recipe as is is both a keto lasagna and a low-carb lasagna.
(Please note that this recipe was developed by Erin Smith, whose blog is no longer operating.)
Grain-Free Lasagna {Zucchini Lasagna} - low carb with dairy-free option
Ingredients
Marinara Sauce
- 1/2 bell pepper
- 6 cups tomatoes (preferably fresh)
- 2/3 onion
- 1/2 celery stalk
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp raw honey
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/3 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp basil
Everything Else
- 3 zucchini (sliced thinly lengthwise)
- 2-3 pasture-raised eggs (see Recipe Notes for egg-free option)
- 3-4 cups raw mozzarella cheese (grated; about 1 pound; see Recipe Notes for dairy-free options)
- coconut oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Blend together the ingredients for the marinara sauce, and boil together for at least 1 hour. The longer you boil, the thicker it gets.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whip up the eggs in a shallow bowl.
- Fry the zucchini by dredging in egg (or the substitute) and then frying in oil, turning once. It's ready when golden brown.
- Assemble your lasagna. First, spread about 1 cup marinara, followed by ? of the zucchini, and then about 1 cup of cheese. Repeat until you have 3 full layers - we usually put an extra cup or so of cheese on top.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is slightly brown.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar.
Have you ever had grain-free noodles or grain-free lasagna?
How well do you think thos would freeze and reheat? I'm trying to make some freezer meals before my baby arrives.
I think it would turn out fine! Congrats!
This recipe looks great except for the added sugar. I have never heard of sweetener being added to lasagna before. How necessary is it to the overall taste profile of the recipe? Do you think I could leave it out? Thanks! 🙂
I'm sure you could leave it out. I think that it just might add a bit of depth - often there are sweeteners added to pasta sauces. Enjoy!
Thanks so much for your input! I really appreciate it. 🙂 Also, true about the pasta sauces--something to watch out for. I buy the Rao's Tomato Basil for that reason (entire ingredient list: Italian whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, onions, basil, salt, garlic, black pepper, dried oregano). Thanks again for this recipe--I am definitely going to make it sans the sugar!
You are so welcome! We love making this b/c we don't have to depend on anything that's store bought and the ingredients are so common and versatile. I hope the recipe works well for you!
This looks wonderful but im adding hamburger to my sauce and then a layer of cooked baby greens before the second n third layers of zucchini. All that cheese gotta have sum more veggies to earn it lol
Sounds great! Agreed that more veggies are always a good thing!
We made this last night for dinner and I decided to add basil on top of the cheese layers. It tasted AMAZING! I put enough basil to basically give it a green layer. Definitely doing that every time I make this from now on.
YEA!!! - Fresh basil?
Started this yesterday because I wanted to sweat the zucchini. (I'm retired and time is not an issue.) The sauce was great, we had spaghetti last night and I used the sauce. 4 diamonds for the sauce. I used Xylitol vice sugars. The only other change was I did not have enough mozzarella, I grated some parmesan cheese to go with the mozzarella.
Wonderful!!!!
Yea!!!!!!
Yay I'm glad you liked it! We will sprinkle parmesan on top of the mozzarella sometimes too and it tastes amazing. With the parmesan we'll put the oven on broil for the last 5 minutes or so and get a nice crunch on top.
love to try this recipe but without nutritional content, i.e. carb count; as a diabetic I just can't risk it. Saying the recipe is low carb just isn't enough information
Hi there. Sorry about that - but I have been advised by many not to put the nutritional count on my recipes b/c of all of the sub options. You could plug the ingredients into a calculator yourself - the ingredients are all so low carb that even keto diet (very low carb) followers will eat this recipe. Hope that helps.
There are lots of online nutritional counters that will give you the information you need. I would advise you to never rely on information given with recipes without rechecking anyhow...mistakes can be made.
This looks great! Lasagna is one of those places that I can sneak in veggies that my kids might not notice. I may try to add in in the superfood radicchio for the health benefits (I'm the Mom that adds spinach to their banana muffins). Thanks again for the recipe!
That sounds wonderful - you are very creative!!!
You say kids I say husband haha!!
Thanks for the grain free lasagna recipe I hope to try it soon.
I hope you do too!!
I've made something similar using eggplant as the "noodles." I always peel the eggplant as I think the skin is tough, salt it and let it sit awhile. After swabbing off excess liquid from the eggplant, I bake it in the oven for 20 min, then procede to layer like your recipe. When I tried using zucchini, it seemed to be very wet. Both are tasty though!
Sounds great! Did you see this recipe by chance? https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/pasta-primavera-vegetable-noodles-eggplant-pasta/
I missed that one. I do have that spriralizer and have done zucchini noodles, carrots and beets (fermented those). Again, the zucchini gets so wet as stirfried noodles and I did see something on facebook about how to prevent that. I thought I shared it to my timeline so I could read it later, but alas, it was gone down my feed and lost!
Oh no. Is this is? https://inspiralized.com/2013/11/06/preparing-zucchini-noodles-removing-excess-moisture-using-cheesecloth/
No, but her take is interesting. This was from some paleo/primal blogger? If I remember correctly, it involved a strainer and putting in the frig? Thanks for sharing.
Then perhaps this one? https://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2014/05/27/basic-zucchini-noodles/
Yes, that sounds right. You are a good researcher! I am going to try this. Thanks.
Yea!!! Hope it works out!
Hey Diane, I haven't tried the eggplant yet mostly because I've never cooked with eggplant before... I don't know why I haven't. I like eggplant and it's my favorite color haha! It does seem to come out a little more "wet" than regular ol' lasagna. We have also tried frying the zucchini up in ghee with some sourdough breadcrumbs and it doesn't come out as wet. But then the low carb isn't as low carb and gluten intolerance come into play.
Thanks for all the different options for this zucchini dish.
Thanks, Anna. I can't wait to make it. Haven't had lasagna in forever!!
Yum! What a great alternative for those watching carbs!
Thanks much, Linda!!
Such a delicious idea!
Thanks! I think so too!