Grilled Summer Veggie Lasagna - Easy Low Carb

This evening I made a delicious grilled summer vegetable lasagna using the bounty of fresh zucchini, yellow summer squash and eggplant that I had on hand. I had 2 medium eggplant, about 2-1/2 pounds of a mixture of yellow squash and zucchini. The only other ingredients I used were a jar of Rao's Arrabbiata Sauce, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup shredded Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, olive oil and salt (to brush on the sliced veggies before grilling). I will post the actual easy recipe later this evening but wanted to get the photos up. It turned out AMAZING! I picked up the 2 eggplants at Sprouts Farmers Market a few days ago and they were only $1.00 each. I picked up a mixed bag of organic zucchini and yellow summer squash at Costco over the weekend. I always keep jars of sauce in my pantry along with olive oil and I always have shredded cheeses available in the fridge. As soon as I got home from work, I fired up our grill, washed and sliced the veggies, brushed with oil and sprinkled with salt. I grilled the veggies in 2 stages; first the eggplant and then the squash and zucchini. They only took about 7 to 8 minutes to grill until tender but not too soft they would fall apart when taking off the grill or layering. It took about 5 minutes to assemble the casserole and less than 30 minutes to bake. I let it sit for about 10-15 minutes so the cheeses would set up before cutting it. It cut into beautiful pieces. Hubby and I enjoyed it and it was the perfect meal to enjoy on the night before the official start of Summer tomorrow. Of course, we have lots leftover for us both to enjoy for several more dinners. It would make an awesome side dish to grilled marinated chicken or other meat as well. Check out the photos of the easy steps below. I'll be back later to add the actual written recipe. Enjoy!

Using your grill is a great way to help you make lasagna in the summertime

Grilled Summer Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplant, sliced approximately 1/2" thick (eggplant can be peeled if desired)
2-1/2 pounds zucchini and yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise approximately 1/4" thick
1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil (to brush eggplant and squash with)
Sea salt, to taste
1 24-ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used Rao's Homemade Arrabbiata)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmigiana Reggiano (or Parmesan cheese)

Directions:

Brush both sides of eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Grill on a 400-450 degree F grill for approximately 3 minutes per side, or just until tender (be careful not to overcook and make mushy so vegetables don't fall apart). Remove from grill to a platter.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9" x 13" casserole dish and spread about 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce, just enough to coat bottom of dish. Layer eggplant slices on bottom, overlapping slightly. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining sauce over top of the eggplant; then scatter 1 cup of mozzarella on top. Layer zucchini and yellow squash next, overlapping slightly. Spread remaining sauce over top; scatter remaining 1 cup mozzarella on top; then scatter Parmesan cheese last. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If desired, run under broiler for a few minutes to brown top layer of cheese. Allow lasagna to sit about 10 minutes so cheese sets up and can be cut into neat squares.

*Note: If desired, you can increase amount of cheese. Sauce should be used sparingly to keep from adding too much liquid to the casserole since the vegetables don't absorb liquid the way regular pasta noodles do. I prefer to partially skin my eggplant by using a vegetable peeler lengthwise, removing 1 swipe every other row (it looks striped when done). I like to slice the eggplant into rounds but you can slice it lengthwise if preferred. The vegetables can also be roasted in the oven until tender, however grilling them helps dry the excess juices up making your lasagna non-watery. If preferred this can be made using all eggplant, or all zucchini or squash. You can also add a layer of cooked ground beef, if desired.