Summer Lasagna

Ingredients

• Ground beef

  80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw

  1 lb or 453g

• Onions

  Raw

  ½ cup, chopped or 80g

• Green bell pepper

  Sweet, green, raw

  ½ cup, chopped or 75g

• Carrots

  Raw

  ¼ cup chopped or 32g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 cloves, minced or 6g

• Tomato sauce

  Canned

  1 cup or 245g

• Oregano

  Spices, dried

  ½ tsp, ground or 0.9g

• Basil

  Spices, dried

  ½ tsp, ground or 0.7g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Zucchini

  Summer squash, includes skin, raw

  1 large or 323g

• Ricotta cheese

  Part skim milk

  1 cup or 248g

• Egg

  Whole, fresh eggs

  1 medium or 44g

• Mozzarella cheese

  Part skim milk

  ¾ cup, shredded or 84g

• Parmesan cheese

  Low sodium

  ¼ cup, grated or 25g

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly browned. Drain excess fat. Add onion, green bell pepper, carrots, garlic, and tomato sauce. Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
3. Layer half of the zucchini strips in the prepared baking dish. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese and beaten egg, then spread over the zucchini. Add half of the beef mixture and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining zucchini, beef mixture, and mozzarella. Top with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.