Low Carb Lasagna

Low Carb Lasagna

There are so many ways to make Italian style dishes without using noodles or heavy carbs. I usually don't eat heavy carbs for dinner and try to keep it mostly protein and veggies. I made a low-carb lasagna and used zucchini and yellow squash in place of the lasagna noodles. I discovered that making your own marinara sauce is so easy, so I made it from scratch. As I was eating this meal I thought, this is so good! I wish people knew how delicious you can still eat when eating healthy if you make the effort to make your own food.

Ingredients:
1 pound sliced chicken breast
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 - 8 oz can diced tomatoes or 2 cups diced tomatoes
1 - 4oz can tomato paste
1 cup or so of low fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup or so of parmesan cheese
1/2 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Spices: salt, pepper, basil, parsley

First thing I did was prepare the chicken and marinara sauce. I just cooked my chicken on the stovetop at Medium-High heat in lemon juice, salt and pepper. You can also use ground turkey if you prefer that.

Also grill the zucchini and squash until soft or you can just cook it on the stovetop, but you want to precook it a bit so it's softer and won't come out crunchy.

For the marinara, I added about 1 TBS of olive oil to a pan and heated it up to Medium-High heat. I sauteed the minced onion and garlic cloves for a few minutes. Then I added in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. I added the spices, then lowered the heat to medium and covered. I let it simmer for about 15 minutes.(If the sauce looks too thick, just add a bit of water)

I preheated my oven at 375F. I pulled out my 8x8 baking dish and greased it up with some olive oil or I could've used non-stick spray.

Now I was ready to get started on making my pretty low carb lasagna. 

 I layed down the first layer of my lasagna with thinly sliced zucchini and yellow squash

I added a second layer with the chicken I cooked earlier

 

 For the third layer I added the marinara sauce

 

Fourth layer I added cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese

 Then I added all four layers again starting with the zucchini and squash and ending with the cheese.

I covered the lasagna with some foil then popped it in the oven for about 30 minutes. I also took off the foil and let it cook uncovered for the last 5 minutes.

This kind of dinner is so filling without the starchy carbs! Try making something like this and make your own twist. Maybe add some sundried tomatoes or bell peppers to your marinara sauce. If your diet allows it, add a little bit of white wine to your marinara sauce. Or if you like a bit of spice, spice your marinara with some cayenne pepper or chili powder!

I hope I've inspired you to try something creative and not to think that a healthy lifestyle means boring!

1 Protein, 1 Veggie