Paleo Lasagna recipe

Originally posted January 9, 2015

If anyone knows me, they know that when I’m in the kitchen, sometimes I just make stuff up. Take tonight for example. I am currently following the 21 Day Sugar Detox from Diane Sanfilippo. She has a recipe in the book for a veggie lasagne. I would say that was my inspiration for this paleo lasagna but I took it a few steps further. For one, I added a macadamia nut ricotta as well as meat to the tomato sauce. I also topped it with almond meal. Let’s just say I was pretty much in heaven with my meal. I really can’t believe this is how I’m eating. I do not (and I’m being very honest) miss the pasta.

The detox basically eliminates all carbs including gluten, dairy, and sugar. The recipe uses none of these. It’s what I call “paleo plus” or super strict. This recipe also happens to be naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Not nut-free though as the “ricotta” is made from macadamia nuts.

Now if you don’t eat meat, omit it. Don’t like mushrooms? Use more eggplant or zucchini. Can’t have nuts? Skip it.

Let’s just cut to the chase and discuss how I made it. Here are the layers from the bottom up:

Bolognese sauce on the bottom
Roasted eggplant
Sautéed mushrooms
Macadamia ricotta with a little tomato sauce
Roasted zucchini strips
Bolognese sauce
Almond meal topped with olive oil

Here’s how I did it. I used a 10″ oblong baking dish. This would probably work in an 8″ x 8″ pan as well. This dish probably serves about 3 to 4 people. Let’s start with the first layer.

Bolognese Sauce

There are a million recipes for bolognese sauce. I tend to make a simple version that’s quick, easy and delicious.

1 pound ground meat, like beef, pork, chicken thigh or lamb (or a combination)
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings (or use a combo of oregano, thyme, and parsley)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
28-ounce can crushed Italian tomatoes (alternately, substitute with a pre-made tomato sauce without sugar)
8 – 12 ounces water

In a large sauté pan heated to medium, brown ground meat with spices, salt, and pepper. Once meat is mostly cooked, add garlic and stir. Cook for 1 minute.
Add tomatoes and water. If you are using a pre-made sauce, use it instead of the tomatoes and water. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini

1 medium eggplant, peeled
2 small or 1 medium zucchini
Salt
Olive oil

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Slice eggplant into ½″ pieces (circles, not the long way). Place on a paper towel with salt under and on top. Place another paper towel on top. This helps to extract the water from the eggplant.
Slice zucchini into long, thin slices. Place on top of the eggplant and salt. Top with another paper towel. Place the baking tray on top of it to help absorb the moisture from the eggplant and zucchini.
After about 10 minutes, place the eggplant and zucchini on the baking tray, removing the paper towels. Blot excess moisture. Drizzle with a few teaspoons of olive oil.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until both are softened but not overcooked. Remove from oven and leave on the tray to cool slightly as you prepare the rest of the dish.

Sautéed Mushrooms

2 teaspoon olive oil
8 – 10 ounces mushrooms, clean and sliced

Heat sauté pan to medium. Add olive oil, wait about 3 seconds then add mushrooms.
Cook until mushrooms are brown and softened. The less you move them in the pan, the better.

Macadamia Nut Ricotta

1 cup raw macadamia nuts
Juice of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
½ teaspoon Italian herbs
¼ cup water, or amount to get desired texture

Place all ingredients in a food processor.
Process until creamy smooth (will still be a bit grainy). Keep adding water, a little at a time, until it’s the texture you desire.

Almond Meal for the Topping

Sprinkle a few tablespoons of almond flour on the top to cover and drizzle with a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Sprinkle a little salt and maybe garlic powder for flavor.

No complaints from my family on this night

Assembly

Once you are ready to make the lasagna, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place enough sauce on the bottom on a 10″ oval pan to cover the bottom. Add the eggplant, then the mushrooms.

Top with the “ricotta” and a tablespoon of sauce. Spread evenly.

Top with zucchini then more sauce to cover.

Top with almond meal and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbling. If you’d like, broil for a few minutes to make the top brown.

Let rest 10 minutes then serve.