Florida Beef and Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients

Preparation

Preheat the oven to broil. Working in batches, evenly lay out zucchini slices onto a cookie sheet or baking tray. Lightly drizzle tops of zucchini with olive oil. Evenly season with 1 tablespoon of the Florida all-purpose seasoning. Cook on top rack of oven. Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes directly under the oven broiler, until zucchini has some color and is almost fork-tender. Carefully remove from oven and repeat this process for the rest of the zucchini. Turn the oven from broil to bake at 400 degrees.

In a medium-sized pan over medium heat, add the ground beef and 1 tablespoon chopped garlic. Cook the beef until browned, breaking it up until crumbled and completely cooked throughout. Drain any excess fat. Add the marinara sauce and 1 tablespoon of herbs. Stir and remove from heat.

In a small mixing bowl, add the ricotta cheese, egg and the remaining herbs and Florida all-purpose seasoning. Thoroughly mix ingredients to blend.

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Add ⅓ of the marinara sauce to the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly. Cover entire bottom of the baking dish with a layer of zucchini slices. Evenly add another ⅓ of the marinara sauce to that layer, then evenly spoon the ricotta mixture over the marinara sauce. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the entire dish. Add the rest of the zucchini over the Parmesan, then add the remaining marinara sauce. Evenly top the dish with the 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese. Wipe the edges of the baking dish clean with a paper towel, and bake uncovered for at least 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Carefully remove from oven and let cool slightly. Serve warm with fresh sprigs of basil and extra grated Parmesan cheese.