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

Zucchini Pesto Lasagna

Roasted zucchini and pesto lasagna layered with cream cheese sauce and topped with feta
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
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.