Zucchini Lasagna

1 pound bulk Italian Chicken or Turkey Sausage
2-3 large zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, (I like Fransisco Rinaldi's To Be Healthy Sauce)
10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
1 egg
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 (10 oz.) package chopped frozen spinach, defrosted & well drained
1 (16 oz.) package chopped frozen broccoli & cauliflower, defrosted & well drained
1/2 cup shredded fresh carrot
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Thinly slice zucchini length wise, a mandolin helps but it can be done by hand. Spray a cookie sheet with a small amount of cooking spray. Lie zucchini strips on cookie sheet and sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon of salt. Bake for 12 minutes and remove from oven. Pat the zucchini dry with paper towels and set aside while you prepare the rest.
Brown the sausage with the onion, green pepper and fennel seeds until done. Add the pasta sauce and warm through.
Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, spinach, basil, oregano & pepper. Mix well.
Begin the layering process with about 1/3 of the sauce, then half of the zucchini. Top that with half of the ricotta/spinach mixture. Top that with the chopped broccoli, cauliflower & carrots. Top that with half of a cup of mozzarela, then the sliced mushrooms, another 1/3 of the sauce mixture, then the rest of the ricotta mixture. Finish it off with the last of the zucchini, the rest of the sauce and top it off with the remaining half a cup of mozzarella & 1/2 a cup of Parmesan.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Enjoy!!!

Serving Size: 1/8th of the lasagna

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MESAMA.