I'm sure you've all heard about the low-carb veggie option of replacing pasta noodles with "zoodles", or zucchini squash cut to resemble noodles. I personally am not a huge fan of the curly ones cut with a spiralizer, but I do like them in more of a flat or ribbon form, made using either a mandoline slicer or a peeler, depending on the dish. Obviously they do not taste the same, or have the same texture as pasta (because, well, its a vegetable and not comforting fattening dough), but they are a great way to save on calories in an otherwise rich meal and honestly, hubs and I don't even miss the pasta when I substitute zoodles! (Disclaimer: do not use them when you are craving a simple pasta dish like fettuccine alfredo which literally consists of noodles and sauce- you will be disappointed!)
I have made zucchini lasagna with traditional tomato meat sauce multiple times very successfully, so this time I thought I'd try a seafood variation (since we'd just had spaghetti squash bolognese- we LOVE "Italian" food but are really trying to keep meals a little lighter most of the time). One thing you really have to use for any version of this meal is a mandoline to ensure consistency in the zoodle thickness. If you don't have one, you should get one! It's not something I use all that often, but when I do it makes slicing veggies, potatoes, etc. super quick and easy and also have the option to julienne. They are relatively inexpensive and you can get one off Amazon or at most stores (mine is from TJ Maxx judging by the sticker that is still on the box). Biggest word of advice: USE THE GUARD! I may have learned this lesson the hard way & earned a big "I told you so" from my husband. And don't let your kids play with it (obviously) because the blades are sharp!
Start by washing your zucchini and cutting the ends off. Using the guard, slice the zucchini long ways on the 1/8th inch setting. Discard the first and last slices which are mostly skin. Lay the slices in a single layer on paper towels.
Lightly salt them and leave them to sit so the salt will draw out the excess water until time to assemble the lasagna. See how the water just starts to come right out of them? (You will need to blot them dry with paper towels before assembling lasagna layers.)
Gather the rest of your ingredients. I forgot my shallot. And I left the seafood in the fridge til needed.
Put the ricotta into a medium size mixing bowl. Squeeze the water out of the thawed frozen spinach (using paper towels if you don't have a cheese cloth) and add to the ricotta. Also add egg, fresh parsley, and Italian cheese blend and mix well.
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks, shallots, and garlic and saute 3-5 minutes until softened. Add the flour and mix until well incorporated. Let cook stirring often another 3-5 minutes. Gradually wisk in the wine, broth, and milk and bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally, and let boil 5-10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and quickly saute the shrimp in another tbsp of butter until pink. I seasoned them lightly with "seafood magic" seasoning because I was out of Tony Chachere's (my go-to all purpose seasoning for shrimp, fish, pork chops, etc.).
Once the sauce begins to thicken, remove from heat and stir in the shrimp, crabmeat, and lemon juice. Now it is time to assemble the lasagna! Start with a few scoops of sauce on the bottom. Next make a layer of zucchini, followed by a layer of the cheese mixture, then another zucchini, another seafood sauce, another zucchini, another cheese mixture, one last layer of zucchini, then finish with the creamy seafood sauce.
Top the lasagna off with the shredded mozzarella cheese (we don't skimp here - my husband lives for cheese!) then cover with foil if your casserole dish doesn't have a top and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking for another 20 minutes. If you like that cheesy topping browned nice and crispy, turn the broiler on low for the last 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it set for 15 minutes. (If you can... it smells so good that we didn't make it but 10 before having to dig in!) Believe me, this is NOT burnt on top. This brown layer adds so much flavor. Plate it up and garish with a sprig of parsley. Enjoy with a glass of the wine you used in the cream sauce for a nice compliment (if you haven't finished the bottle while cooking). And yes, the leftovers reheated well in the microwave the next night for dinner!
- Instead of making the sauce from scratch, jar Alfredo sauce could be used.
- Frozen peeled shrimp can also be used if you don't have access to fresh or feel like peeling them yourself, just make sure you thaw them first.
- You could use bay scallops, chopped lobster meat, or even flaked white fish to change it up. You also can easily omit the leeks and shallots or use finely chopped sweet onion to be more budget friendly.
- Both the Mozzarella and the Italian cheeses can be cut in half to cut out a few more calories.
Seafood Zucchini Lasagna
6 servings, 500 calories
1 hour prep, 45 minutes cook time
- 1 lb. medium shrimp (peeled)
- 1 lb. crabmeat
- 5 zucchini squash
- 15 oz. Skim milk Ricotta
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1 cup shredded 2% Mozzarella
- 1/4 cup butter plus 1 tbsp
- 1/4 cup AP flour
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp garlic
- 1 large shallot
- 1 leek (white parts only) or 6 pieces frozen
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley
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