Paleo Zucchini Lasagna with Sausage {Whole30, Low Carb}

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This Zucchini Lasagna was sponsored by Jones Dairy Farm and all opinions are my own, as always.

This low carb Paleo Zucchini Lasagna is the perfect answer to your cravings!  Thin sliced zucchini is layered with a creamy cashew-based cheese sauce and a savory sausage marinara mixture.  It’s packed with flavor and veggies, completely dairy free, grain free, Whole30 compliant and the leftovers save well!  

This recipe exceeded my expectations with the first bite!  

Being an Italian food lover while avoiding both pasta (grains) and cheese (dairy) isn’t the easiest. However, I know it’s possible to make a great dairy-free cheese sauce using cashews and just had to try it layered in a zucchini lasagna.  

Add in deliciously savory all natural turkey sausage, some extra greens, and my favorite marinara sauce, and you get a low carb, dairy free lasagna that’s a total winner. 

What You Need to Make Paleo Zucchini Lasagna with Sausage

The “cheese” sauce is simple and cashew based – you’ll need a high speed blender or food processor to get it nice and creamy.  Here’s everything you’ll need for the lasagna:

• Cheese Sauce:
• Cashews
• Almond Milk, unsweetened
• Avocado oil, or olive oil
• Garlic
• Lemon juice
• Nutritional Yeast
• Sea salt
• Lasagna: 
• 4-5 med-large zucchini 
• 2 packages Jones Dairy Farm No Antibiotics Ever Golden Brown Turkey Sausage
• Onion
• Garlic
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Italian seasoning
• Fresh spinach or kale, chopped
• Marinara sauce
• Fresh basil and parsley 

About Jones Dairy Farm All Natural Turkey Sausage 

I love all of the Jones Dairy Farm products and their all natural, no antibiotics turkey sausage works so well in this recipe. The flavor is delicious, it’s Whole30 compliant and makes a great base for the meat layer in the lasagna.  

Jones Dairy Farm also makes amazing no sugar pork sausage (used in my sausage potato and spinach soup) and all natural chicken sausage to throw into quick meals, plus the BEST no sugar bacon!  

Get the recipe for my savory sweet potato bacon waffles here. Since Jones Dairy Farm’s line of Antibiotic Free, Paleo Certified products contain NO sugar or preservatives, they’re perfect for paleo and Whole30 recipes.  

Definitely check out their website to browse their amazing products and find out find out where you can purchase!

How to Make Zucchini Lasagna

Make the cheese sauce first. Simply place all the ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until very smooth and creamy.  

Next, thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise. Spread out in a single layer on 2 baking sheets topped with wire racks and lightly salt them.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes at 375° F to dry them out.  If you skip this step, the lasagna will be more watery (see below.)

Meanwhile, make the sausage mixture. Sauté the turkey sausage in the oil until golden brown.  Lower the heat and add in the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper, if desired.

Cook until softened, then add the spinach or kale and stir until wilted. Add in 1 cup of marinara and stir to heat through.  

Now it’s time to layer the lasagna!  I started with a 1/2 cup of the remaining marinara, followed by a layer of zucchini, 1/2 of the sausage mixture, 1/3 of the cheese sauce, and 1/2 of the parley and basil.  

Repeat the layers one more time, and then place a final layer of zucchini, cheese sauce, and fresh herbs before baking.  I baked my lasagna for 22 minutes so it was hot and bubbly with a lightly browned top.

How to Avoid Watery Zucchini Lasagna

I can’t stand when my zucchini recipes get watery!  It’s a real problem since zucchini holds a ton of water, which is released while it cooks.

The key is removing much of the water before layering it in the lasagna.  To do this, I salted it first.  After 5 minutes or so you’ll see it “sweating” and can pat it dry with paper towel. 

Then, I pre-baked it for about 10 minutes.  You want it to appear dry before removing it from the oven.  While the zucchini will still release some extra water while it bakes in the lasagna, following these steps will give you the best chance at a not-watery zucchini lasagna! 

I hope you’re ready for a seriously delicious zucchini lasagna that you’ll want on repeat in your house!  I know you’re going to love it – enjoy!

Paleo Zucchini Lasagna with Sausage {Whole30, Low Carb}

Paleo Zucchini Lasagna with Sausage {Dairy-Free, Whole30}

This low carb Paleo Zucchini Lasagna is the perfect answer to your cravings! Thin sliced zucchini is layered with a creamy cashew-based cheese sauce and a savory sausage marinara mixture. It’s packed with flavor and veggies, completely dairy free, grain free, Whole30 compliant and the leftovers save well!

Author: Michele Rosen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: dairy-free, Italian, low carb, Paleo, Whole30

Keyword: low carb, paleo, whole30, zucchini

Servings: 8 servings

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4.73 from 11 votes

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce:

• 2 cups cashews **
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Lasagna:

• 4-5 med-large zucchini
• 2 7 oz packages Jones Dairy Farm No Antibiotics Ever Golden Brown Turkey Sausage thawed and chopped into small pieces*
• 1 small onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1-2 cups fresh spinach or kale chopped (optional)
• 2 cups marinara sauce divided (I used Rao’s)
• 1/4 cup Fresh basil and parsley chopped

Instructions

Cheese Sauce:

1. In a high-speed blender (I used a VItamix), combine all ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Sauce should be warm by the end of blending, if not, transfer it to a saucepan to heat before serving.

Lasagna:

1. Preheat your oven to 375° F. Cut the ends off the zucchini and slice lengthwise into thin slices. Sprinkle with sea salt and spread out in a single layer on 2 baking sheets topped with wire racks. The salting and baking steps will dry out the zucchini. You can skip it, but the finished lasagna will be more watery.
2. Pat the salted zucchini with paper towel to remove excess moisture, then bake zucchini in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until tops appear dry. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to assemble.
3. Meanwhile, make the sausage mixture. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, then add sausage and sauté until browned, stirring as needed, about 3-5 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium and add in the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic, stir, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper, if desired.
4. Cook and stir until softened, then add the spinach or kale and stir until wilted. Add in 1 cup of marinara and stir to heat through, then remove from heat.
5. Spread 1/2 cup of remaining marinara onto the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
6. Add zucchini slices on top of the pasta sauce side by side.
Top the zucchini with 1/2 of the turkey sausage mixture and evenly spread 1/3 of the cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle 1/3 of the chopped fresh herbs on top.
7. Repeat these layers, leaving enough zucchini for a final top layer.
8. Top the lasagna with the last layer of zucchini, remaining cheese sauce, and remaining parsley and basil. Bake in the preheated oven (middle rack) for 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly. 
 
Garnish with basil before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Recipe Notes:
*You can sub the turkey sausage with 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, bulk sausage, ground turkey or chicken.
**If you’re using a high speed blender like a Vitamix, you won’t need to soak the cashews beforehand. If you’re using a food processor, I recommend soaking the cashews in hot water for 2 hours prior to making the sauce

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcal

Carbohydrates: 20g

Protein: 20g

Fat: 23g

Saturated Fat: 4g

Cholesterol: 43mg

Sodium: 1139mg

Potassium: 907mg

Fiber: 4g

Sugar: 8g

Vitamin A: 855IU

Vitamin C: 29mg

Calcium: 90mg

Iron: 4mg

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Want More Whole30 Recipes Using Jones Dairy Farm No Sugar Added Sausage and Bacon?  Try One of These!

Bacon Sweet Potato Waffles

Sausage Potato and Spinach Soup

Bacon Zucchini Fritters

Turkey Sausage Marinara Spaghetti Squash Boats

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken Bites

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