Community cookbook recipe test: Isabelle Jones' Zucchini Lasagne

I brought home a 4-pound zucchini that was abandoned by some gardener I work with (who knows who it was - people leave things they don't want on the break room table). I knew that I could get a few meals out of this thing, so rather than just bake a bazillion loaves of zucchini bread, as is my tradition, I checked out a P.E.O. cookbook for inspiration. I found it in a recipe for lasagne, which today might be billed as gluten-free, but for me, all that mattered was that it featured my cast-off squash as the star. Best of all, it was a recipe from a member of my home chapter, Chapter BN in Boise.

Long strips of zucchini replace the pasta noodles, which already gives it the simplicity of no-boil noodles. This recipe calls for a meat sauce that you cook down with wine for an hour and a half, and then there's gobs of cheese.

Lasagne is not a particularly inspirational dish. It's more of a hearty family meal, a meal you throw in the freezer for when unexpected company arrives, something that's hard to mess up and sure to please anyone who's not on a strict diet. And let's not forget it was the favorite of Garfield the cat. I've never had bad lasagne, but still, it's never been something I dream about or order off a menu; I certainly never think to make it for a casual dinner at home, let alone eat the day it's made, with sauce that didn't come out of a can. So now I will admit that this was a fun treat, and the zucchini made it fancy. No, it won't go into a regular rotation, but I will gladly add it to my "what the heck to do with all this zucchini" file.

Zucchini Lasagne
Recipe adapted from Isabelle Jones, found in Kitchen Treasures: A collection of recipes from Idaho's 50+ year P.E.O. members

4 large zucchini (or, in my case, half a big honkin' one)
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey (I used turkey)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 4-oz. can sliced mushrooms (I used a big handful of fresh)
3/4 c. dry red wine
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. basil
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. mozzarella, thinly sliced (I used part-skim)
8 oz. ricotta cheese (again, part-skim)
1/2. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ground meat. Cook until tender but not brown, stirring to keep meat crumbly (if using fresh mushrooms, add now). Add tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms (if using the canned variety), and spices and salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350. Oil a casserole dish (I used a 9x13 pan). Cut zucchini lengthwise into strips 1/4 inch thick and place half of them in the bottom of the dish to cover. Top with one half the mozzarella and one half the ricotta. Add half the meat sauce. Repeat the layering. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 4-6.