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Light, cheesy, creamy, and packed with summer flavors, this Easy Courgette Lasagne recipe is the perfect make-ahead dinner recipe your family is going to ask for again and again! A classic lasagne is given a vegetarian twist with tender ribbons of courgette, rich mascarpone cheese, and plenty of fresh basil.
Table of Contents
Nothing beats a classic lasagne, but sometimes it’s nice to change things up a bit. So say hello to our summer version of lasagne: Courgette Lasagne!
Zucchini (courgettes) are both cooked down into the filling as well as layered with the lasagne sheets, making for a very zucchini-filled version of vegetable lasagne.
The quick cheats tomato and mascarpone sauce is lighter than a regular béchamel (although this is a wonderful recipe for a white sauce for lasagne if you are after that) and suits this summery version of everyone’s favorite baked pasta!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Everything that’s great about lasagne with a lighter summery touch.
- A perfect use for zucchini and fresh basil when they’re best.
- Easy to assemble, and can be made a day ahead.
- The comfort food your family will ask for over and over again.
Ingredients
- Large zucchini (courgettes) – You’ll need four zucchini. Three are cut into thin strips to layer within the lasagne, while the other is diced and used for a tomato-zucchini sauce.
- Olive oil – Choose something mild and light for cooking, like olive oil.
- Onion – Either a yellow (brown) or white onion will work.
- Garlic cloves – Crush the garlic so it melds nicely into the sauce.
- Finely chopped canned tomatoes – One can is used for the zucchini sauce and the other two for the mascarpone sauce. Use your favorite brand; we like Mutti.
- Superfine sugar (caster sugar) – Granulated sugar is also fine.
- Mascarpone – This creamy Italian cheese is the key to the second tomato sauce
- Mozzarella – Most will be within the layers, but make sure to reserve some to melt on top.
- Fresh basil – Placed between the layers, fresh basil is a nice summery surprise.
- Parmesan – Pecorino or Grana Padano would also work. If you need this recipe to be vegetarian, make sure your cheese is too!
- Fresh lasagne sheets – Dried will work, possibly with a little extra cooking time (see notes below).
How to make courgette lasagne
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
- ONE: Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C/180°C fan). Place the zucchini strips on a large lined baking sheet (you may need 2, depending on the size, or bake in batches) and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes until starting to soften. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- TWO: In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion and sauté on a medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes until softened.
- THREE: Add the garlic, diced zucchini, and 1/2 tsp salt, and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring often. Add a can of chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 8-10 minutes.
- FOUR: Meanwhile, tip the remaining tomatoes into a large saucepan with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and use an immersion (stick) blender to blitz until smooth. Stir through the mascarpone.
- FIVE: To assemble the lasagne, alternate the tomato zucchini sauce with layers of pasta, strips of zucchini, mascarpone sauce, basil leaves, and torn mozzarella, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Reserve enough mascarpone to top the final pasta layer and sprinkle with the Parmesan, torn mozzarella, and basil leaves.
- SIX: Bake for 40 minutes until golden on top and bubbling. Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with a crisp green salad.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Prepping the zucchini – To speed up the process, use a vegetable peeler to make zucchini ribbons instead of slices; this will cut down on the cooking time. However, I like this roasted zucchini slice version better!
- Reserve some for the top – While you’re assembling the lasagne, make sure to keep some extra mascarpone sauce, mozzarella, and basil for the topping.
Frequently asked questions
Fresh are best, but yes, dried would also work — you’d just check it is cooked through with the tip of a sharp knife before serving! If it needs to go back in the oven, cover the top loosely with foil to stop it burning.
Yes, you can make the lasagne a day ahead and leave it assembled in the fridge before baking.
We used a 11×9 inch (28×23 cm) Falcon dish to bake this lasagne, but if you don’t have one, it will work in an 8×12 inch (20×30 cm) baking dish.
Allowing the lasagne to cool a little helps it absorb a little extra cooking liquid. This helps you get nice neat slices that won’t collapse as you lift them out of the baking sheet.
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you made this Courgette Lasagna, you might also want to try my Cheat’s White Sauce Lasagne or Creamy Courgette Pasta Recipe with Lemon. And, if you have extra zucchini to use up, try my Easy Courgette and Sweetcorn Fritters, Italian Courgette Scarpaccia, Ricotta and Aubergine Baked Pasta Shells, or Courgette Ribbon Salad Recipe.
Easy Dinner Recipes
Zucchini Risotto (Risotto di Zucchini)
Lunch Recipes
Frittata di Zucchini (Zucchini Frittata)
Weeknight Supper
Easy Summer Courgette & Tomato Gratin (Zucchini Al Forno)
Easy Healthy Recipes
Scarpaccia (Italian Zucchini Tart)
If you tried this Courgette Lasagne or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Easy Courgette Lasagne
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini (courgettes), 3 sliced into 1/2 cm strips, 1 finely diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 3 (14.5 oz/400 g) cans finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp superfine sugar (caster sugar)
- 8.75 oz mascarpone
- 2 balls mozzarella, drained and roughly torn
- 0.5 oz fresh basil leaves, about generous 1/2 cup, loosely packed
- 2.5 oz Parmesan, finely grated, about generous 3/4 cup
- 10.5 oz fresh lasagne sheets, (see Note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C/180°C fan).
- Start by placing the zucchini strips on a large lined baking sheet (you may need 2, depending on the size, or bake in batches) and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes until starting to soften. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion and sauté on a medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic, diced zucchini, and 1/2 tsp salt, and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring often. Add a can of chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, tip the remaining 2 cans of tomatoes into a large saucepan with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and use an immersion (stick) blender to blitz until smooth. Stir through the mascarpone (reserve enough mascarpone to top the final pasta layer).
- To assemble the lasagne, alternate the tomato zucchini sauce with layers of pasta, strips of zucchini, mascarpone sauce, basil leaves, and torn mozzarella, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Reserve enough mascarpone sauce to top the final pasta layer, then sprinkle with the Parmesan, torn mozzarella, and any leftover basil leaves.
- Bake for 40 minutes until golden on top and bubbling.
- Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with a crisp green salad.
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
Make-Ahead: Assemble the lasagne a day early and leave it in the fridge overnight. Let it come to room temperature before baking in a preheated oven. Because it includes fresh basil, this may not be a good lasagne to freeze. Storage: Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It can be reheated gently in a 390°F (200°C/180°C fan) oven, covered in foil. Heat up individual slices in the microwave.More quick tips
- Lasagne options: Fresh lasagne is best, but dried lasagne sheets would also work — just check it is cooked through with the tip of a sharp knife before serving! If it needs to go back in the oven, cover the top loosely with foil to stop it burning.
- Preparing zucchini: Use a vegetable peeler if you want to create a thinner zucchini ribbon instead of slices.
- Let it rest: Allowing the lasagne to cool down for a few minutes will help it absorb extra liquid and ensure you get neat slices.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks absolutely delicious, I.will be trying this tomorrow. Is it freezable and if so can you then cook from frozen or defrost before hand? Thanks so much
That should be absolutely fine! I always tend to let things defrost beforehand as I think it often results in a better texture. But of course if you’re in a hurry, I would think it would be okay! x
Have an allotment with an abundance of courgettes so this recipe was perfect. Easy to follow however mozzarella balls in ingredients list but not mentioned in method. Assumed you placed on top along with the parmesan. Wow the flavour was amazing.
Oh good spot! thank you!! SO pleased you loved it xx