Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter (divided)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion (small diced)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 cup canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 leaves of fresh basil sprigs (chiffonade)
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 cup water
• 14 ounces mozzarella cheese (grated)
• 3 zucchini or summer squash (1/4-inch thick and sliced lengthwise)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Prepare the ground beef mixture ---

2. 2

   Heat up your skillet over medium heat and melt a tablespoon of butter in it.

3. 3

   Now, add your ground beef to the skillet and cook it until it turns a nice brown color. This usually takes about 6-8 minutes. As it cooks, use your spatula to break the meat up into smaller crumbles.

4. 4

   Next, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté them for a few minutes until the onion becomes see-through.

5. 5

   After that, add in your tomato paste, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Give it about 5 minutes to cook so that all the flavors have a chance to mix and mingle.

6. 6

   Now, pour canned chopped tomatoes and water into the skillet. Add in the chopped basil as well. Let it all simmer together for about 10 more minutes until the mixture becomes a little thicker.

7. 7

   Once that's done, you can take the skillet off the heat and set it aside.

8. 8

   --- Assembling the lasagna and baking ---

9. 9

   Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C).

10. 10

    Take a baking dish and spread a tablespoon of butter all over the inside.

11. 11

    Lay down a layer of raw zucchini strips on the bottom of the dish, making sure they're spread out evenly. Season them with a little salt and black pepper.

12. 12

    Next, spread a good helping of the ground beef mixture over the zucchini layer. Then, layer some grated mozzarella cheese right on top of the beef.

13. 13

    Repeat these steps, layering zucchini, beef, and mozzarella until you've used up all your ingredients. Make sure you finish off with a layer of mozzarella on top!

14. 14

    Pop the baking dish into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the cheese on top is a beautiful golden brown color and is bubbling nicely.

15. 15

    Once your lasagna is baked to perfection, take it out of the oven and let it cool down for about 10 minutes.

16. 16

    Then, all that's left to do is scoop out a portion and serve it up while it's still warm. Enjoy!