LOW CARB COURGETTE LASAGNE

THIS LOW CARB COURGETTE LASAGNA IS PACKED WITH VEGGIES AND PROTEIN. YOU KNOW WE DON’T SKIMP ON FLAVOUR, SO GET READY TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THE AMAZING TURKEY MEAT SAUCE. HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Courgette: the star of the show in this pasta-free courgette lasagna recipe! Extra virgin olive oil: to cook those veggies for the turkey meat sauce. Garlic: a must for the amazing flavour. Yellow onion & green pepper: the veggie boost we’re adding to the meat sauce. Sauce base: we’re using tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste for that saucy goodness. Herbs: a bit of dried oregano, fresh basil and fresh parsley. Spices: I love adding a pinch of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes for a hint of spice, plus some salt and pepper. For the cheese mixture: we’re using ricotta (part skim or whole), an egg white (or a full egg), grated parmesan, mozzarella, salt & pepper. HOW TO CUT COURGETTE INTO LASAGNA NOODLES Cutting raw courgette into lasagna noodles is easy to do with a mandolin or a standard vegetable peeler. You’ll just want to carefully slide the courgette the long way across the mandolin, or carefully slide your vegetable peeler the long way down the courgette to create even strips. SERVES 8 | TOTAL COOK TIME = 1HR 30mins | PREP TIME = 45mins Per Serving = 367 Cals | Fat 11g | Carbs 26g | Protein 41g INGREDIENTS Nonstick cooking spray 4 large courgette, sliced about 1/4 inch thick 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small yellow onion, diced 1 green pepper, diced 1 pound lean ground turkey 1 – 14 oz can tomato sauce 1 – 14 oz can crushed tomatoes 4 tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoon dried oregano handful of basil, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) handful of parsley, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) 1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper, if desired red pepper flakes, if desired 1/2 teaspoon salt Lots of freshly ground black pepper For the ricotta cheese mixture: 15 oz part skim ricotta (or use whole milk) 1 egg white (or use whole egg) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper 12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (or about 1 1/2 cups) METHOD Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place sliced courgette on large baking sheet coated with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes to help dry out the courgette a bit. This is a critical step. While the courgette noodles are roasting, you can make the turkey meat sauce. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onions, and peppers and cook a few minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant; stir occasionally so that you don’t burn it. Add in ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add in tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, parsley, and a few dashes of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer UNCOVERED 25 to 30 minutes or until sauce REALLY thickens up! (If it needs to be thicker, I suggest adding in another tablespoon or two of tomato paste.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat to cool. In a medium bowl, combine egg white, ricotta, and Parmesan. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Add in 1/2 cup of the slightly cooled meat sauce and stir to combine and set aside. To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the turkey meat sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Place courgette slices evenly over meat sauce, spread on 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, then sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on. Repeat layers again starting with the meat sauce, courgette slices and ricotta mixture and finishing with remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake for 15 minute longer uncovered. Makes 8 very generous servings. Garnish with fresh basil ribbons or chopped parsley and extra parmesan cheese HOW TO KEEP COURGETTE LASAGNA FROM BEING WATERY Given that courgette is made up almost entirely of water, cooking and baking it tends to create extra moisture. That’s why courgette is great for baking – because it adds moisture to baked goods without adding oil! But for our pasta-free courgette lasagna we don’t want tons of water pooling, so here’s what to do: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place the sliced courgette on a large baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle it with salt and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes to help dry out it all out.