Low carb Lasagne

[Jo123]

Hi, please can I have some advice please from someone who has made the above.
I am a dab hand at making normal lasagne, I use plenty of sauce for the pasta to absorb so when it is served it is not dry but holds it's shape.
I've read of using aubergine, courgette or butternut squashes, presumably you cut down the sauce as it doesn't need to absorb any.
Does the aubergine/courgette/butternut squash, exude any juice, do you need to make a dryish lasagne to allow for this. Do you need to cook the pasta equivalent first.
Any advice from personal experience welcome.
We're going away with extended family for a long weekend, I'm taking a normal lasagne for some and the low carb lasagne as well, but my sister doesn't like mince so I was thinking of doing a mushroom and spinach low carb one. So any recipes welcome too.

 

[Ann1982]

When I make it I use sliced courgettes (long slices) and use the mince base and a home made lowish carb cheese sauce. I don’t precook the courgettes and I try to make the base dryish as courgettes are quite watery at times. But I have made a chicken one and it was nice too.

 

[lovinglife]

I've used aubergine, sheets of leek and courgette- I always fry off the aubergine and dab dry - blanch the leeks and courgette drain well and dab well dry - don't salt as this just draws out even more moisture- it doesn't need long cooking once you've made the lasagna so I make it with hot sauces and put it in a hot oven about 15 minutes to get a crispy top - not sure how it holds up being made then reheated cause I never have any left overs lol - but the best one for reheating would be aubergine

Bear in mind if you use spinach and mushrooms along with replacement lasagna it will be very very wet as they all have high water content - itvmay be best made and served right away

 

[Jo123]

When I make it I use sliced courgettes (long slices) and use the mince base and a home made lowish carb cheese sauce. I don’t precook the courgettes and I try to make the base dryish as courgettes are quite watery at times. But I have made a chicken one and it was nice too.

Thank you for your reply.
So you don't pre cook the courgette at all and you need a dryer sauce, this is all useful thank you.

 

[carty]

Celeriac makes a good pasta alternative it doesn't produce water so it acts very much like the pasta sheets .I make a half and half lasagne for my husband and myself so I throw the celeriac slices into boiling water with the pasta for a few mins before layering up (I have the top layer cos it has more cheese ) !
CAROL

 

[Jo123]

I've used aubergine, sheets of leek and courgette- I always fry off the aubergine and dab dry - blanch the leeks and courgette drain well and dab well dry - don't salt as this just draws out even more moisture- it doesn't need long cooking once you've made the lasagna so I make it with hot sauces and put it in a hot oven about 15 minutes to get a crispy top - not sure how it holds up being made then reheated cause I never have any left overs lol - but the best one for reheating would be aubergine

Bear in mind if you use spinach and mushrooms along with replacement lasagna it will be very very wet as they all have high water content - itvmay be best made and served right away

Thank you for your reply too!
To my mind aubergine would be the most pasta like, do you agree?
Thank you for the tip of not salting, that should save time.
I have a nice mushroom and ham lasagne recipe in which you fry the mushrooms to reduce all the liquid, I would do the same for the spinach to reduce the liquid. I really should do a practice run!

 

[Jo123]

Celeriac makes a good pasta alternative it doesn't produce water so it acts very much like the pasta sheets .I make a half and half lasagne for my husband and myself so I throw the celeriac slices into boiling water with the pasta for a few mins before layering up (I have the top layer cos it has more cheese ) !
CAROL

Mmm, I've never cooked celeriac at home, I've think I've eaten it out, but not sure, what does it taste like?
Thank you for your reply!

 

[carty]

It tastes like a cross between potato and mild celery ,in lasagne or as a base for spaghetti it just takes on the taste of the sauce .I also use it to make roasties with Swede instead of potatoes when having roast dinner
CAROL

 

[Grateful]

I use butternut squash. The filling is mainly shredded brussels sprouts and sausage meat.

 

[Jo123]

It tastes like a cross between potato and mild celery ,in lasagne or as a base for spaghetti it just takes on the taste of the sauce .I also use it to make roasties with Swede instead of potatoes when having roast dinner
CAROL

Thanks again Carol.

 

[Jo123]

I use butternut squash. The filling is mainly shredded brussels sprouts and sausage meat.

Hi Grateful, good to see you back.

Do you pre cook the butternut squash?

 

[Rachox]

I use butternut squash, slice it myself, it freezes well as a whole one is enough for three large ‘lasagnes’. I use 500g of minced beef with Tesco red lasagne sauce and layer it with butternut squash sheets and Tesco white lasagne sauce. Then I top it with grated extra strong cheddar. A sixth of the whole ‘lasagne’ works out around 15g carbs. No pre cooking of the butternut squash needed. I actually prefer it to pasta lasagne now. Much less stodgy and a ‘fresher’ flavour.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thank you for your reply too!
To my mind aubergine would be the most pasta like, do you agree?
Thank you for the tip of not salting, that should save time.
I have a nice mushroom and ham lasagne recipe in which you fry the mushrooms to reduce all the liquid, I would do the same for the spinach to reduce the liquid. I really should do a practice run!

In fact unwrapped leek sheets are probably the nearest to lasagne.. maybe a double layer also not as much liquid as courgette or aubergine.

 

[Jo123]

Thanks Rachox and Bulkbiker, I'm going to be very busy, lots of ideas to try!

 

[Grateful]

Hi Grateful, good to see you back.

Do you pre cook the butternut squash?

No pre-cooking. I cut the squash into thin slices using a spiralizer.

 

[Resurgam]

I was going to say how good leek lasagne was - and then I realised I have never had 'real' lasagne - ever.
Still good though.

 

[Kailee56]

Haven’t tried it, but one recipe I found used thin sliced deli turkey instead of pasta. That might go well with the veggie lasagna as long as your sister isn’t vegetarian. The recipes are at the very bottom of her pages.

Lasagna rolls. http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/low-carb-lasagna-rolls/

Regular lasagna. http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/easy-protein-noodle-lasagna/

Lasagna using cabbage for noodles http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/cabbage-noodle-lasagna/