Red Pepper and Ricotta Mock Lasagna

I was adventurous in the kitchen last night... and it turned out absolutely wonderful! Everyone raved about the meal. This is a fantastic low-carb, gluten-free supper. Here's what I made:

Red Pepper and Ricotta Mock Lasagna:

• two large or three medium zucchini
• sea salt and black pepper
• one large onion
• three medium or two large red bell peppers
• 4 large garlic cloves
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese
• meat from 1/2 large chicken
• 12 oz mozzarella cheese, preferably hormone-free
• one jar of marinara sauce

First, you want to prepare the zucchini. This is what you'll be using instead of lasagna noodles. Slice them thinly lengthwise. Salt both sides and let them drain in a colander for about 45 minutes. This will draw out the extra moisture so that your lasagna is not too runny.



While the zucchini is draining, saute one large onion in extra virgin olive oil. Add your red bell peppers and minced garlic cloves and let cook until the onions soften.



Add the ricotta cheese and chicken. Season with a bit of salt and lots of pepper. Mix well.

Assemble your ingredients for layering. First rinse and dry your zucchini slices. Grate 12 ounces of white cheese. While mozzarella would be the traditional choice, we used a Mellow Cheddar by Minerva. Also, I used an organic marinara sauce from Earth Fare.


Pour 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Add a layer of zucchini. Layer 1/2 of the chicken mixture, 1/3 of the cheese, a second layer of zucchini, 1/3 of the sauce, the rest of the chicken, 1/3 of the cheese, the last of the zucchini, the last of the sauce and the remaining cheese. Here's what mine looked like halfway through:

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Our family likes vegetables with a little bit of crunch still in them. If you want your zucchini totally soft, cover your lasagna with aluminum foil to bake for the first 30 minutes. Then bake uncovered for the last 15 minutes. The foil will keep in the steam and cook the zucchini more thoroughly.

Important: Let stand 5 minutes before serving so that the juices absorb. Serve with a garden salad on the side.