This Low Carb Chicken Pesto Lasagna with Zucchini Noodles is a refreshing twist on traditional lasagna. It's easy to make a picky eater approved making so it's sure to become regular on your menu!
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The other day while my family was sitting down to supper, my youngest son, Lucas, stated "Potatoes are made from cauliflower and Noodles are made from zucchini."
To say I was proud is an understatement. He is used to the swaps that I make to keep our food low in carbs and gluten free as often as possible. He usually tolerates these foods really well, but it hasn't always been easy!
One of the first veggies that I was able to sneak into his foods was Zucchini. It's really pretty flavorless and the texture isn't very suspect either. In the early days, I even peeled off the green skin and sometimes removed to seeds to remove any of the telltale vegetable characteristics.
Zucchini is my go-to substitute for pasta, whether it's spiralized for spaghetti, or cut into thin sheets for Lasagna. It almost always works!
This Lasagna is one of my favorites. I love that it's a different take on a classic and it's a great way to use my all time favorite sauce - Pesto!
Ingredients and substitutions
I like to keep things as simple as possible so I almost always opt for a store bought pesto. Just be sure to read the labels and make sure to chose one with the lowest carbs. Both Sam's Club and Aldi have good options!
If you don't want to use store bought, you can always make your own. There are plenty of great, low carb recipes out there.
If you aren't trying to keep your carbs low, you can use traditional lasagna noodles in place of the zucchini. Just cook them according to the directions on the package.
The rest of the ingredients are pretty straight forward so I don't recommend any other substitutions. I have never made a lasagna with cottage cheese because I am pretty sure that it's a sin against the Gods of Italian food to use anything other then ricotta.
Preparation
The trickiest part of making this Low Carb Chicken Pesto Lasagna with Zucchini Noodles is slicing the zucchini. I think that easiest way to slice them evenly, is the first remove the ends, then slice the zucchini lengthwise down the middle.
Once it's been sliced, lay the flat side down on the cutting board and very carefully run a sharp knife along the bottom of the zucchini to make even slices. Occasionally you will wind up with half slices or slices that aren't even. Save those goofy pieces and use them to fill in any gaps when you are layering the zucchini.
This zucchini is best served fresh out of the oven, but you can save leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just be aware that the zucchini will continue to soften and get a little soggy as it sits in the fridge.
Be sure to check out these other great recipes:
📖 Recipe
Low Carb Chicken Pesto Lasagna with Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
- 30 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup prepared pesto sauce
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and diced (about 2 chicken breasts)
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x13" casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and salt and pepper.
- Add about 3 tablespoon of the pesto to the bottom of the casserole dish and spread into a thin, even layer.
- Top with an even layer of the sliced zucchini, then ½ of the ricotta mixture, ½ of the remaining pesto and half of the chicken breast. Repeat the layers once more, then top with the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and slightly golden.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
Shelly says
Could this be frozen in single servings?
Sabra says
It can be frozen, but just be aware that the zucchini will get a little bit mushy when it's reheated. Not necessarily bad, just not as good as it is when it's fresh 🙂
Isla says
I’m eating it hot out of the oven right now and I can say it is divine. I will be making this again. Soon. Nom nom
Courtney says
Hello! So is there no issue with the zucchini making it watery? Did you have to do anything so it wouldn’t? Thanks!
Sabra says
Hi Courtney! This Zucchini does get a little watery, but I intentionally kept the filling pretty dry. When baked it shouldn't be soggy at all.
If you are concerned, you can bake the zucchini slices for 5 minutes or so before assembling the lasagna, then gently squeeze them between two paper towels to remove some excess liquid.
Hope that helps!
Shannon D Van Enger says
Can this be made ahead of time (like the night before) and reheated the next day's lunch?
Sabra says
Hi Shannon! That should work just fine 🙂
Morgan says
This recipe is absolutely delicious!! For those of us on Keto trying to lose weight we thank you!!
Sabra says
Thanks Morgan! So happy you liked it 🙂
Lewis Johnson says
This recipe looks amazing.
Karen says
I loved this and so did my husband and son! Thanks so much for sharing!
Matt Buttler says
its delicious. i will be make it again. i love to eat it. thanks for sharing this yummiest recipe with us
Malorie Edie says
Hey for the low carb chicken zucchini lasagna how many cups or tbsp is 30oz??
Sabra says
Hi Malorie! You will use about 3.5 cups of Ricotta cheese. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Mal Edie says
Omg taste really good
Monica says
I think I put a little bit to much pesto. It wasn't as great as I thought it would be!
Patti says
Can you add spinach to the ricotta? Any changes? Thanks!
Sabra says
Hi Patti! You can certainly add spinach. If using frozen, just be sure to remove as much liquid as possible before adding it. Otherwise, no changes should be necessary. Hope that helps 😊