Zucchini and Pesto Lasagne

This zucchini and pesto lasagne is always popular when I make it at work. It is quite easy to make as well and apart from the cheese, relatively light.

To make it as light as possible, I use cottage cheese, feta cheese and parmesan but if you want it to be more indulgent, use ricotta cheese instead of the cottage cheese.

My pesto is as healthy as it is tasty. I make it with a mixture of basil, spinach, rocket/arugula leaves, walnuts, sunflower seeds, garlic and parmesan cheese.

It is a great way to incorporate super healthy dark green leaves, such as spinach and rocket/arugula, as well as super healthy garlic, walnuts and sunflower seeds.

You can use this healthy pesto with pasta as well, preferably wholegrain pasta.

Note: you can either use both spinach and rocket/arugula for the pesto, or just one of them. Spinach is somewhat more nutritious than rocket/arugula but has quite a bland taste. I like to mix the two as rocket/arugula packs a punch taste-wise.

Zucchini and pesto lasagne for 4 people:

1 kilo zucchini (courgette), thinly sliced

Extra virgin olive oil

For the pesto:

25g, 1oz, basil

100g, 3 1/2oz, mix of spinach and rocket/arugula - or use only one

1 handful walnuts

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

2 garlic cloves - crushed/minced

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the cheese mix:

300g, 10 1/2oz, cottage cheese

100g feta cheese - crumbled

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

a pinch of black pepper

Grated parmesan to sprinkle over the top

Preheat the oven to 220C/fan200C/425F/gas mark 7. Cover a baking tray with parchment (baking) paper and place the sliced zucchini (courgettes) in a single layer on top of the paper. Brush both sides with some olive oil. Roast for about 12 minutes, until golden on one side. Take out the tray and turn over each slice and put the tray back in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, until golden. Remove the tray from the oven.
While the zucchini slices are roasting, place all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor and pulse for about 10-15 seconds until it comes together.
Mix together the cottage cheese and feta cheese in a bowl and season with salt and black pepper.
Line a lightly greased casserole dish with one third of the sliced zucchini. Spread out half of the pesto over the zucchini and top with half of the cheese mixture. Top with half of the remaining zucchini slices, then the rest of the pesto and cheese mix. Top with the remaining zucchini slices, sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese and place the dish in the oven.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Serve the zucchini and pesto lasagne with a mixed salad.

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