Yummy Paleo Lasagna!

YUMMY PALEO LASAGNA

This Makes a large Roasting Pan of Lasagna see Bottom of Page for Half a Pan Recipe.

Ingredients list: 

5 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise on a mandolin or other similar devise

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

And for the sauce:

4 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions

2 med-large fresh garlic cloves, pressed
  6 cups water
  2 (12 oz.) can tomato paste (organic is best, just check ingredients)

1 can diced tomatoes or Italian diced tomatoes,(next time I think I will drain most of the juice off)
2 tsp honey (optional, it's just enough to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)
3 tsp each basil and sea salt
  2tsp each garlic granules/powder and oregano (I go scant on the dried oregano leaves, it can easily overpower)
1 tsp ground black pepper
 4 bay leaves

Brown the ground beef and onion in a frying pan.  In a large saucepan combine remaining ingredients and stir, add drained ground beef and onion mixture to the sauce ingredients.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for at least an hour, several hours is even better. Near the end of the simmer time add a little more oregano and basil and taste, it's my opinion that with this dish you want to flavors a bit strong.   Simple, Easy, Tasty.

While the sauce is simmering is a good time to slice your zucchini if you haven't already, thin is best.  I don't have a mandolin, so I used my meat slicer to slice my zucchini nice and thin. 


Then place a layer of sauce in the bottom of a large pan (I used my roasting pan, but an 11x13 pan should work too).  Then layer about 3-4 layers of zucchini, topped with a sprinkling of spinach, then another layer of zucchini, sauce, etc. until you have used up all your ingredients.  Cover and bake at 375 degrees for about an hour, depending on your oven.  Then uncover and bake a few more minutes if desired.  My oven tends to run cool and take a lot longer, so it took mine about 1 hour and 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes, slice and serve.  If you consume dairy, as part of your "Paleo" diet then  feel free to sprinkle a little cheese on top before you bake it.  We polished off nearly the whole pan everyone loved it so much!

 Zucchini sliced and ready to be used.

 My layer with the spinach.

 A layer of zucchini "noodles"

 Ready to go in the oven and bake.

Ready to eat!!  Yum!!

Half a Recipe (Probably more like a 13x9 inch pan)

Ingredients list: 

3 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise on a mandolin or other similar device

1-2 cups chopped fresh spinach

And for the sauce:

2 pounds ground beef
  1 medium onion

1 med-large fresh garlic clove, pressed
  6 cups water
  1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste (organic is best, just check ingredients)

1/2 (15oz) can diced tomatoes or Italian diced tomatoes,(next time I think I will drain most of the juice off)
  1tsp honey (optional, it's just enough to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)
  1 1/2 tsp each basil and sea salt
  1 tsp each garlic granules/powder and oregano (I go scant on the dried oregano leaves, it can easily overpower)
  1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  2 bay leaves

*This recipe was inspired by Everyday Paleo's Lasagna Recipe from the cookbook by the same name. *