Spaghetti Bake

Recently, I have been craving lasagna as bad as our dog, George, craves Beggin Strips.  If you only knew George, you would know this is a serious situation!  I knew I would replace the noodles with zucchini slices but was a little concerned of losing some of the desired texture the veggie offers as a noodle replacement.  The zucchini slices could either be too thick which would make it too crisp to represent a noodle or too thin which would become a hot-soggy mess in the cooking process.  I will eventually figure out the perfect slice dimension for a zucchini lasagna noodle but out of impatient desperation last night, I simply used my handy dandy mandolin to cut a whole zucchini with my medium Julienne slicer. 

Then I mixed about 2 cups of homemade marinara that I pulled out of the freezer and a little mozzarella with the noodles.  The mozzarella is not "Paleo approved" ingredient, but I ignored that fact last night since my allergy tests show that I do not have a sensitivity to dairy.  With the marinara already made, this dish was so quick and easy to put together!  30 minutes later I looked like a wild animal that went in for the kill.  It definitely fulfilled my craving for lasagna.


I made this altered version of marinara from the fabulous Melissa Joulwan of The Clothes that Make the Girl about a month ago.  It made such a large pot that I ended up freezing half of it.  I was elated yesterday afternoon when I remembered that it was in my freezer ready to be defrosted and used up!

Marinara:

• ghee 
• 2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2/3 cup beef broth
• 2  (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, slivered

Here's what ya do:

1. Melt ghee in a large stock pot over medium heat.
2. Cook onions with the oregano until they’re very soft, about 7-10 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and stir fry until brown, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir, about 1 minute.
6. Add the broth and crushed tomatoes; stir to combine.
7. Bring to a robust boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 2 hours.

For Spaghetti Bake:
Written by Rebecca Lane
Marinara recipe inspired by Melissa Joulwan
Makes 4 servings

• 1 large Zucchini
• 2 cups Marinara; recipe above
• 1/2 pound lean ground meat such as deer, chicken or turkey
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella; optional

Here's what ya do:

1. Brown ground meat and drain fat
2. While meat is browning, slice the ends of your zucchini.  Make "noodles" using a medium julienne mandolin attachment.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix marinara, meat, zucchini noodles and 1/4 cup cheese if using. 
4. Place mixture in a 5x5 baking dish
5. Top with remaining cheese
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
7. Enjoy!