Zucchini Lasagna

From Jess Gaito

1 lb ground beef

3 cloves of garlic

½ onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

salt , pepper

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (or your favorite sauce)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

3-4 medium to large zucchini, sliced ⅛” thick

15 oz. part skim ricotta cheese

16 oz. part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 large egg

-In a medium saucepan, brown meat and season with salt.  Drain beef in colander to remove any fat. Add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions for 2 minutes.  Return the meat to the pan, and crushed tomatoes or your own sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.  Do not add extra water-the sauce should be thick.

-Slice zucchini lengthwise into ⅛” thick slices.  Use a mandolin if you have it to get uniform slices.  IMPORTANT > Lightly salt the slices and set aside for 10 minutes (zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of the moisture so that your lasagna is not soupy).  After 10 minutes, blot the excess moisture with a paper towel.

-On a grill pan, grill the zucchini on each side until cooked, about 1-2 minutes per side.  Place on paper towels to absorb excess moisture.