For years, one of my go-to dinners in the summer was zucchini lasagna, where zucchini is used in place of noodles. It’s delightful, but it’s also very labor-intensive, requiring you to slice the zucchini into long, thin planks, salt each individual plank, wipe each individual plank, and then layer the zucchini “noodles” with ricotta, sauce, and mozzarella. Now I have far too many children to be salting individual planks of zucchini—so I make this! It’s a dump-and-go skillet meal that has all of those favorite flavors in a way, way quicker and easier format.
Makes 3 servings
3 medium zucchini
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, store-bought or homemade
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
4 ounces (½ cup) whole-milk ricotta cheese
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (1 cup)
Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
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Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then thinly slice them crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick half circles. Thinly slice the basil.
Warm the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the turkey and cook, breaking it up into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Add the zucchini, 1½ teaspoons salt, and some black pepper. Turn up the heat to high and cook, stirring often, until the meat is totally cooked through (no longer pink) and the zucchini is tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Turn down the heat to medium and stir in the tomato sauce, half the basil, the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and another ¼ teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed—it should be very tasty by this point! Swirl in spoonfuls of the ricotta all over, then sprinkle the mozzarella over the top. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook until the mozzarella has melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
Finish with the remaining basil and some red pepper flakes, if you like, before serving straight from the pot.
SWAP: For a vegetarian lasagna, squeeze the moisture from a block of firm tofu, crumble the tofu into the skillet in place of turkey, and cook the rest of the recipe exactly as written.
Use ground Italian sausage instead of ground turkey for a richer dish.
Cottage cheese instead of ricotta will give the dish a more delicate flavor.
RIFF: Make it a chicken parm lasagna skillet by using ground chicken and adding ¼ cup freshly grated parm (1 ounce) when you add the mozzarella. Stir in 1½ cups or so of leftover cooked pasta—any kind—to give it baked-pasta vibes.
BULK IT UP: Add a thinly sliced bell pepper or 8 ounces thinly sliced mushrooms when you add the zucchini.
For some greens, stir in two big handfuls of spinach with the tomato sauce and cook until wilted.
Serve with garlic bread to stretch this to feed more people!
EXTRA EXTRA: To brown the cheese, throw the skillet under the broiler for a few minutes (watch it the entire time so you don’t burn it!) instead of cooking it, covered, on the stovetop.
From What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking: Make It Fast by Caroline Chambers, out August 11th. Reprinted by permission of Union Square & Co.
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