Zucchini Lasagna

Lately I have really enjoyed my subscription to Martha's Every Day Foods emails. This particular recipe comes from an email entitled "Cucumber and Zucchini Recipes" and that is exactly what I need! I picked 15 cucumbers the other night (that's slicing and does not include the bushel I picked of pickling cucumbers). Thankfully my squash plants are slowly dieing. Earlier in the summer I donated two wagon loads of zucchini to the local food kitchen because we just can't eat them fast enough.

This is a white lasagna and I really enjoyed the creamy texture the added cream cheese gave. Most ricotta dishes seem somewhat grainy in my opinion which isn't a bad thing but the added cream cheese really made this melt in your mouth. (Later in the week while making manicotti I added a little cream cheese again to my ricotta mix prior to stuffing the shells and it was delicious!)

Zucchini Lasagna
Recipe and Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart's Every Day Foods

8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 medium zucchini, (8 ounces each) halved lengthwise, then sliced thinly crosswise
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 no-boil lasagna noodles (or 6 cooked noodles)
2 ounces shredded (1/2 cup) part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese and ricotta; season with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl, combine zucchini, garlic, and oregano; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Spread 1/3 zucchini mixture in prepared baking dish; top with two lasagna noodles, then 1/3 ricotta mixture. Repeat twice with remaining zucchini mixture, noodles, and ricotta mixture, finishing with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil; bake until bubbly and noodles are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove foil; bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*Jayne's Notes: I grated extra mozzarella and added it to the ricotta mixture layers for some extra cheesyness.