Roasted Zucchini Pesto Lasagna

The last savoury recipe I posted (these incredible onion cheddar rolls) was almost a year ago and each time I do share one here, I wonder why I don’t do it more and vow not to let cake distract me so easily. Well. We’re here now! And this lasagna is just so good, it’ll make up for the long gap. With zucchini that’s roasted with plenty of garlic and olive oil, pesto in every layer to add a ton of brightness, and a simple sauce with cream cheese, all of it topped with feta for the perfect salty bite. It’s rich but not overly so and just proves that simple flavours are always the best.

Ironically, just like those onion rolls I mentioned above, this recipe is also a Smitten Kitchen stroke of genius. From Deb Perelman’s third book, Smitten Kitchen Keepers, which is truly such a fabulous book and everything I’ve tried so far has been incredible. I’ve been a fan for years now and her recipes absolutely never let me down (not sponsored or anything!). For this lasagna, the first time I tried it, I cooked the zucchini down in a pan as directed but I’m a serious lover of roasted veggies and I loved it even more that way. The zucchini gets caramelised, more flavourful and when baked with a lot of olive oil and garlic, it needs nothing more than a sprinkling of salt and pepper. So good.

I also didn’t have ricotta or parmesan at hand which is what Deb uses in her recipe, but cream cheese worked beautifully and so did feta just added on top. My whole family loved it and I knew I had to make it again to share here. The sauce is a basic bechamel but cream cheese adds tang and creaminess without needing shredded cheese. This lasagna is not as veggie-forward as my loaded version, but there’s something about the combination of zucchini and pesto (I used store-bought but the recipe notes have a homemade suggestion), that doesn’t actually demand more veggies. The sauce makes this decadent but not in a way that you’re incapable of moving afterwards.

I scaled it down to make a small version that very generously serves two people, three if you have a side along with it. It’s even better the next day actually, the pesto makes its presence felt more strongly and reheating it in the oven makes it as good as freshly baked.

I like my zucchini to have a slight bite to it, but you can absolutely slice it thinner, taking care that it doesn’t burn in the oven and making sure to stir it all around often. It’s overall a very forgiving lasagna, as you can tell from all the tinkering I did with the recipe! I hope you enjoy making it and eating it 🙂

Zucchini Pesto Lasagna

Roasted zucchini and pesto lasagna layered with cream cheese sauce and topped with feta

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Makes: 4 servings

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Ingredients

  

For the zucchini

• 3 medium zucchini (yellow, green, or a mix; approx 600 gms)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (60 ml)
• 1 small head of garlic, minced (8 to 10 cloves)
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, optional
• Salt and pepper as needed

For the lasagna

• 8 to 10 lasagna sheets (see notes)
• 1/4 cup butter (55 gms; salted or unsalted)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30 gms)
• 1 and 3/4th cups whole milk (430 ml), at room temperature
• 1 tsp mixed herb seasoning/Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, optional
• 1/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature (75 gms)
• Salt and pepper as needed
• 1/2 cup basil pesto (see notes)
• 100 gms feta cheese

Instructions

• First, prep the zucchini. I like to do this the night before for convenience, refrigerate and then add salt and pepper just before assembling the lasagna the next day. This way I find the zucchini doesn't release too much water.
• Preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a rimmed baking tray with aluminium foil.
• Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and then cut each half into semi-circular slices. I like to keep them to a medium thickness (about 1/4th of an inch) so that they still have some texture after roasting and baking and also don't burn in the oven. Spread the zucchini out into a single layer on the baking tray.
• Drizzle the olive oil all over the zucchini. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic, then scatter the rest over the zucchini. Sprinkle on the chilli flakes if using.
• Bake for about an hour, tossing the zucchini two or three times while it bakes to ensure even browning. They are done when almost all the slices are lightly browned and are slightly shrunken. Set aside to cool, then season with salt and pepper (1/2 tsp salt to start with, and adjust as needed).
• Now prep the lasagna sheets. Fill a large, shallow bowl with boiling hot water and soak each sheet for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to drain. Try to place each sheet in a way that they don't overlap, in case they stick to each other. I use no-boil noodles (see notes for more) but you can use your favourite kind and stick to the cooking instructions on the packet if you prefer. This quick soak is what has worked for me in the past.
• Next, make the sauce. In a large, deep pan (I used my large, flat-bottomed kadhai but a sturdy saucepan is great too), melt the butter on low heat. Add the reserved garlic from step 4 and stir briefly till fragrant, but not darkened. Add the flour and now use a balloon whisk to quickly combine it with the butter.
• Add the milk, a little at a time, whisking the whole time till you have a batter-like consistency (see photos below). When this happens, add the rest of the milk in larger amounts, and keep stirring to combine. Once all the milk has gone in, add the herbs and chilli flakes and let the sauce come to a boil on low heat.
• When it starts boiling, the sauce will thicken. Add the cream cheese and whisk it in till fully incorporated. Now add salt and pepper ((1/2 tsp salt to start with), taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Take it off the heat and begin assembling the lasagna because the sauce thickens further as it cools.
• Preheat the oven to 190 C. Grease an 8.5x6.5 inch rectangular baking dish (sides at least 2 inches high) with a tablespoon of olive oil. Then spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce all over the base of the dish. Place a layer of lasagna sheets to cover the sauce, cutting the pieces as needed to make them fit without overlapping.
• Top with a third of the zucchini, spread out in an even layer, then drop spoonfuls of the pesto all over, about two tablespoons per layer.
• Cover with a second layer of lasagna sheets, then repeat the sauce, zucchini and pesto. Make a third layer the same way.
• Finally, cover with another layer of lasagna sheets, spread the remaining sauce all over and crumble the feta over it pressing it down lightly into the top. Drizzle the last of the pesto all over.
• Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until a knife can easily be poked through the lasagna. If the top is a little pale, turn the oven to the broil setting for 5 minutes, so that the sauce and feta caramelises a little.
• Once done, let the lasagna rest at room temperature for 20 minutes which allows it to set and make for neater slices.
• Slice into four generous pieces or six smaller ones and dig in! Once completely cooled, cover the dish with foil if there are leftovers (this lasagna tastes even better on day two!) and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 190 C until warmed through. You can also microwave it if that's easier. Lasagna can be frozen as well and thawed overnight in the fridge, reheating again at 190 C till warmed through. Happy cooking!

Notes

*I used a readymade pesto but I have a homemade version here, or use whatever your favourite basil pesto recipe is.

*These lasagna sheets are the ones I used in this recipe, roughly half the packet, 8 to 10 sheets, which were approximately 6x3 inches per sheet. 

*Prep time does not include cooling time.

*Adapted from Smitten Kitchen Keepers.

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