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    Home / Main Courses / Entrees

    Zucchini Pesto Lasagna

    Published Jul 25, 2011

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    slice of zucchini pesto lasagna on a plate with fork
    'I don't like pesto,' my friend Vanessa once told me.

    I was shocked. Other than a picky nine-year-oldand a certain co-worker, I had never met anyone who didn't like pesto.

    close up of pesto
    Vanessa explained. 'I once ordered a pesto omelette, and it was swimming in pesto. When restaurants use pesto, they usually dump it on. It's too much.'

    raw zucchini
    While for the past 20 years I have resided firmly in the 'never too much pesto camp,' I can see where Vanessa could be coming from.

    slice of vegetables on roasting tray
    So when I invited her over for dinner one night last summer and unthinkingly made a summer squash gratin with pesto and goat cheese, I had to warn her. Though the gratin had been heavy on the pesto, Vanessa scarfed it like the champ she is, saying she thought the amount was just right.

    pesto being spread onto lasagna layer
    Apparently, she wasn't that hard to convert.

    I wanted to recreate said gratin the other day when our box yielded several massive bunches of basil, which Jay duly turned into a pint of the green stuff. But then it turned into this lasagna, and I will tell you why.

    top down shot of vegetable layer of lasagna
    A few months ago, I'd had big plans to make lasagna. I'd been seeing fresh pasta sheets at Rainbow, and wanted to try them out. I obsessed over a grocery list. I had it all planned out. But when I got to Rainbow, there was no fresh pasta to be seen.

    I reluctantly bought the dry, boxed stuff, grumbling as I boiled the noodles, rinsed them, tossed them with oil to prevent them from sticking, peeled the stuck-together pasta sheets apart as best I could, and still ended up with a lasagna that was not as delicate as I would have liked. I swore that the next time I saw the precious pasta sheets, I would buy them without a second thought.

    top down shot of cheese being spread onto vegetable layer in baking dish
    The next time happened to be when I went shopping for gratin ingredients. The sheets available were verdant with spinach. So the gratin became lasagna. And, like the gratin, the lasagna contained masses of pesto, but, in my pesto-loving opinion, not too much.

    side shot of baking dish with zucchini pest lasagna
    The dish comes together quickly using fresh noodles, which bypass the boiling-rinsing-tossing-peeling-apart steps. It uses three pounds of oven-roasted summer squash, which, if you have a garden this time of year, you may consider an asset. Rather than slaving over a sauce, I simply combined fresh goat cheese with milk for a sort of impromptu bechamel. Make the pesto yourself (I've included a favorite recipe below), or use a good-quality store-bought brand; Cibo makes a tasty option that gets the proportions right. I won't judge.

    If you're a fan of pesto, I hope you will give this lasagna a try.

    top down shot of baking dish with lasagna
    And if you're a self-proclaimed pesto hater, I hope that someone else will make this for you, and that you will thus be converted.

    slice of zucchini pesto lasagna

    For more pesto recipes:

    • Cilantro and Pepita Pesto
    • Parsley Pesto with White Bean and Farro Soup
    • Ricotta and Roasted Beet Tart with Beet Greens Pesto {gluten-free}
    • Asparagus Pesto Pizza

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this zucchini lasagna recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    4 from 2 votes

    Roasted Zucchini Lasagna with Pesto and Chèvre

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    A delicious lasagna with added veggies and a tonne of pesto!
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Total: 1 hour 55 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds summer squash, sliced 1/4" thick (about 12 medium zucchini)
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3/4 teaspoon salt
    • 12 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 3/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 cup basil pesto (recipe below)
    • 16 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced
    • 12 ounces fresh pasta sheets (preferably spinach) cut to fit in a single layer if necessary; enough for 4 layers of pasta)

    Covie's Basil Pesto

    • 4 cups packed fresh basil leaves
    • 6 tablespoons pine nuts
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • 1 cup (up to) olive oil
    • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
    • 1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)

    Instructions

    Roast the squash:

    • Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450º. Divide the sliced squash between two oiled sheet pans. Toss with the olive oil and salt, then arrange in a single layer (the squash may overlap a bit, but will lose volume as it bakes). Roast the squash, rotating once halfway through, until tender and beginning to brown in places, about 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool until handle-able.
    • Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF.

    Mix up the cheese:

    • Meanwhile, place the goat cheese in a medium bowl, and gradually add in the milk, stirring until smooth. Stir in the salt and pepper.

    Assemble the lasagna:

    • Lightly oil a 9x13" pyrex baking dish.
    • Lay a single layer of pasta sheets in the pan, cut to fit if necessary.
    • Spread the pasta with 1/4 cup of pesto.
    • Arrange 1/3 of the roasted squash over the pesto in a single layer.
    • Dollop 1/3 of the goat cheese mixture over the squash and spread evenly.
    • Lay 1/4 of the mozzarella over the goat cheese.
    • Arrange another layer of pasta sheets over the mozzarella, and make 2 more layers just like the first (pasta, pesto, squash, goat cheese, mozzarella), for a total of 3 layers.
    • Add a fourth layer of pasta sheets over the mozzarella, and spread with the remaining 1/4 cup of pesto. Reserve the remaining 1/4 of mozzarella.
    • Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the lasagna at 350ºF until bubbling and the pasta is tender and browned around the edges, about 45 minutes.
    • Turn the oven to broil.
    • Remove the foil, lay the remaining mozzarella over the top, and place under the broiler (watch carefully!) for a minute or two to melt and brown the cheese.
    • Let the lasagna rest for 5-10 minutes, then cut and serve. The lasagna keeps well, refrigerated, for up to several days; reheat before serving.

    Covie's Basil Pesto

    • Optionally blanch the basil in boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunge into an ice bath. When cool, squeeze out all the water. (Or leave the basil fresh - see headnote.) Place the basil, blanched or not, in a food processor with the pine nuts and garlic, and puree until fairly smooth, adding some of the olive oil if you need to help the mixture blend. Add the cheese and enough of the olive oil to make a thick paste, then season to taste with the salt.
    • If storing the pesto, place it in a jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil (this will help prevent it from oxidizinand place in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to several months.

    Notes

    If you are super badass (or just have a lot of time on your hands) feel free to make your own spinach pasta sheets. If you're at the opposite end of that spectrum (the time one, that is), use store-bought fresh pasta and/or pesto (Cibo makes a good version). If you can't find fresh pasta sheets, I'd wager that typical boiled noodles would do the trick. (No-boil noodles might require more liquid than this recipe contains, though.)
    I'm guessing that a good-quality ricotta and some extra grated parmesan could stand in for the goat cheese here, and that other roasted vegetables, such as eggplant or bell peppers, would be tasty additions to the summer squash.
    Covie's Basil Pesto
    This recipe comes from a friend's late mother; I think she got the proportions just right. If making pesto to store for a longer period of time, you can blanch and shock the basil first before blending it with the remaining ingredients; it takes a bit more work, but you end up with a bright green spread that stays this way for up to a week in the fridge, and longer in the freezer. Covie says you can add up to 6 tablespoons of butter; I've never tried it, but perhaps I will next time. You will end up with more pesto than you need for the above recipe; toss it with pasta for a quick lunch, spread it on a sandwich or dollop it over a frittata.
    Nutritional values are based on one of eight servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 617kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 30gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 1266mgPotassium: 616mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1855IUVitamin C: 28.9mgCalcium: 462mgIron: 3.3mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    Roasted Zucchini Lasagna with Pesto and Chèvre

    Makes about 8 servings

    If you are super badass (or just have a lot of time on your hands) feel free to make your own spinach pasta sheets. If you're at the opposite end of that spectrum (the time one, that is), use store-bought fresh pasta and/or pesto (Cibo makes a good version). If you can't find fresh pasta sheets, I'd wager that typical boiled noodles would do the trick. (No-boil noodles might require more liquid than this recipe contains, though.) I'm guessing that a good-quality ricotta and some extra grated parmesan could stand in for the goat cheese here, and that other roasted vegetables, such as eggplant or bell peppers, would be tasty additions to the summer squash.

    3 pounds summer squash (about 12 medium zucchini), sliced 1/4" thick
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    3/4 teaspoon salt

    12 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
    1 cup whole milk
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    1 cup basil pesto (recipe below)

    16 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced
    12 ounces fresh pasta sheets (preferably spinach) (cut to fit in a single layer if necessary; enough for 4 layers of pasta)

    Roast the squash:
    Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450ºF. Divide the sliced squash between two oiled sheet pans. Toss with the olive oil and salt, then arrange in a single layer (the squash may overlap a bit, but will lose volume as it bakes). Roast the squash, rotating once halfway through, until tender and beginning to brown in places, about 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool until handle-able.

    Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF.

    Mix up the cheese:
    Meanwhile, place the goat cheese in a medium bowl, and gradually add in the milk, stirring until smooth. Stir in the salt and pepper.

    Assemble the lasagna:
    Lightly oil a 9x13" pyrex baking dish.
    Lay a single layer of pasta sheets in the pan, cut to fit if necessary.
    Spread the pasta with 1/4 cup of pesto.
    Arrange 1/3 of the roasted squash over the pesto in a single layer.
    Dollop 1/3 of the goat cheese mixture over the squash and spread evenly.
    Lay 1/4 of the mozzarella over the goat cheese.
    Arrange another layer of pasta sheets over the mozzarella, and make 2 more layers just like the first (pasta, pesto, squash, goat cheese, mozzarella), for a total of 3 layers.
    Add a fourth layer of pasta sheets over the mozzarella, and spread with the remaining 1/4 cup of pesto. Reserve the remaining 1/4 of mozzarella.

    Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the lasagna at 350ºF until bubbling and the pasta is tender and browned around the edges, about 45 minutes.

    Turn the oven to broil.

    Remove the foil, lay the remaining mozzarella over the top, and place under the broiler (watch carefully!) for a minute or two to melt and brown the cheese.

    Let the lasagna rest for 5-10 minutes, then cut and serve. The lasagna keeps well, refrigerated, for up to several days; reheat before serving.

    Covie's Basil Pesto

    This recipe comes from a friend's late mother; I think she got the proportions just right. If making pesto to store for a longer period of time, you can blanch and shock the basil first before blending it with the remaining ingredients; it takes a bit more work, but you end up with a bright green spread that stays this way for up to a week in the fridge, and longer in the freezer. Covie says you can add up to 6 tablespoons of butter; I've never tried it, but perhaps I will next time. You will end up with more pesto than you need for the above recipe; toss it with pasta for a quick lunch, spread it on a sandwich or dollop it over a fritatta.

    4 cups packed fresh basil leaves
    6 tablespoons pine nuts
    4 cloves garlic
    up to 1 cup olive oil
    1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
    1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)

    Optionally blanch the basil in boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunge into an ice bath. When cool, squeeze out all the water. (Or leave the basil fresh - see headnote.) Place the basil, blanched or not, in a food processor with the pine nuts and garlic, and puree until fairly smooth, adding some of the olive oil if you need to help the mixture blend. Add the cheese and enough of the olive oil to make a thick paste, then season to taste with the salt.

    If storing the pesto, place it in a jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil (this will help prevent it from oxidizing) and place in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to several months.

    fork slicing into lasagna

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. rcakewalk says

      July 26, 2011 at 1:40 pm

      Wow, this looks good. My husband thinks he doesn't like zucchini and other squash, but I want to make this just for me anyway :)

      Reply
    2. Sara says

      August 09, 2012 at 3:08 pm

      Love it! I have 5 cups of frozen pesto so this will be a great use for some of it.

      Reply
    3. Kelly says

      November 15, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      Yeahhhhh... 450° for 18 minutes... check my zucchini to see how it looked and it was burned to a crisp. Guess we’re having something else for dinner.

      Reply
    4. Alyssa says

      January 09, 2021 at 3:13 am

      I wasn’t ready for the tangy flavor of goat cheese in my lasagna and the pesto came out a bit salty but I just added a handful of spinach and blitzed again then didn’t add salt to the goat cheese mixture to balance it out. Added red chili flakes to the top to add a bit of heat. If I made again, I would either make a bechamel in place of the goat cheese or maybe just do a thin tomato sauce.

      Reply
    5. Nijole says

      March 10, 2022 at 5:44 pm

      If I don’t like goat cheese is there a good substitute that I could use instead?

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        March 12, 2022 at 6:10 pm

        Yes, ricotta would be lovely!

        Reply

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