High Protein Lasagna 🍅🌶️

This hearty, high protein lasagna is a guaranteed crowd pleaser and clocks in at a whopping 24g of protein as prepared. You can easily make it a vegetarian lasagna by simply omitting the meat. It keeps well, reheats easily, and you can easily double the recipe for meal prep. Hope you love it!

Ingredients

For the Lasagna Layers:

• 2 medium zucchini Salt and dry to remove excess moisture.
• 2 medium bell peppers - Can be swapped for mushrooms or carrots.
• 4 cups fresh spinach - Can be replaced with kale or Swiss chard.
• 2-3 cups marinara sauce - with ground beef added for extra protein (optional)
• 6-7 strips of Lasagna pasta sheets

For the Cheese Filling

• 15 oz ricotta cheese - Can substitute with cottage cheese for extra protein.
• 1 large egg Binding agent for the filling.
• 1 tsp garlic powder - Can substitute with fresh garlic.
• 1 tbsp Lola’s trinidad scorpion hot sauce, or more to taste
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning, (alt use basil or oregano)
• 1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

Cheese Topping

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (Essential for authentic lasagna taste)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Sauté bell peppers and spinach in a splash of olive oil until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Prepare zucchini by slicing it thinly, then salt and dry the slices. You can use a vegetable peeler or a mandolin for consistency 
4. Mix ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Lola’s trinidad scorpion hot sauce,  salt, pepper, and parmesan in a bowl until smooth.

Assembly and Baking

1. Layer in a baking dish: start with a thin layer of the marinara, then ricotta mix, pasta sheet, add sautéed vegetables, zucchini, and mozzarella. Repeat until the dish is full, finishing with mozzarella and parmesan on top.
2. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
3. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
4. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing.