The Simple Ingredient Swap To Make Keto-Friendly Lasagna
Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. It's a rich pasta dish, smothered in tomato sauce, and covered in mounds of mozzarella and ricotta cheese. A lasagna bolognese recipe uses a hearty and rich meat sauce in place of marinara. A vegetable lasagna forgoes meat altogether, instead using veggies like mushrooms or squash for the filling. Whether you eat vegetarian lasagna or a meatier version, lasagna is not exactly carb-free. Lasagna noodles are the main culprit when it comes to carbohydrates. If you're currently on a low-carb diet or following the keto diet, it may seem like a bowl of lasagna is a thing of the past.
For those unfamiliar, the keto diet is a diet that involves consuming very low carbs, less than 50 grams per day. According to Parade, one serving of pasta is 25 grams of carbs. One bowl of lasagna and you're pretty much maxed out for the day. Luckily, there are some unique ways to substitute a regular noodle. This simple noodle swap makes the dish healthier while maintaining a similar texture and flavor to the traditional lasagna noodle.
Zucchini makes the perfect noodle
Zucchini noodles are a healthy, keto-friendly alternative to traditional lasagna noodles. Zucchinis are the perfect shape for making lasagna noodles due to their length and width. In order to get a lasagna-shaped zucchini noodle, you'll need to use either a sharp knife, a large vegetable peeler, or a mandoline. The noodles should be the same thickness and size so that it cooks evenly (per Parade).
One issue that may arise with vegetable noodles is that they can taste bitter. A simple solution for this is to lay the cut vegetables on a sheet tray and sprinkle them with salt. Let the noodles sit for an hour, then rinse the salt off and dry completely. When it comes to assembling the lasagna, the process is the same as when using noodles. Some recipes, like the one from Healthy Recipes, suggest lightly grilling the zucchini before layering them into a baking dish. The noodles are topped with your sauce of choice, then layer with cheese, and repeat. The whole dish is baked until the cheese is bubbly.
All that's left to do is dig into a large bowl of guilt-free lasagna.