Kitchen Adventures || Zucchini Lasagna & Chris Bergen!
What’s up, guys!? Hope everyone is having an excellent week so far! Tim was out of town last weekend and I did a MASSIVE meal prep day on Sunday. I cooked for hours, but it was nice to get so much done and not have to think about what we’re eating for a while. The recipe I’m sharing today is a take on a zucchini lasagna that turned out 
pretty great, but first, I want to tell you about this week’s feature!
Chris Bergen, if you haven’t met him, is a member here at CFA and he’s just an excellent human being. He’s super kind, works his tail off, and just has a certain drive in him that makes YOU want to work harder too. Over the last year, Chris has been working on writing a book. It’s inspired by his amazing little pup, Superstar Wonder Dog, but tackles all kinds of life stuff. It’s out on apple books and kindle (Check it out HERE)
He’s actually doing a sneak peak in a live reading on FB tonight if you want to give him some love and hear a bit of the book! He’s going live on his FB page at 7pm (central). I’m super excited for Chris and can’t wait to check out the book.
“Being a superstar isn’t always about getting the most points in a game or throwing the longest pass. It’s not always about running the fastest or jumping the highest. It’s not about being the most popular. Sometimes, it’s about learning what is on the inside and being the superstar you’ve always wanted to be.”
INGREDIENTS
1 lb hot Italian sausage
1 TBSP coconut oil
8 ounces white button mushrooms sliced
1 medium onion – rough chopped
2 medium tomatoes – diced
3 cloves of garlic – minced
2 cups tomato sauce
2 TBSP Italian Seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste
*Optional – red pepper flakes – only if you want more heat than the hot Italian Sausage adds
1 large zucchini thinly sliced – I used a mandolin
1 bag fresh spinach
2 TBSP fresh basil – julienned
1.5 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 large egg
2-3 cupa Shredded Mozzerella Cheese – depends on how much you like
1/3 grated parmesan
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400. Combine Ricotta & egg in a bowl, season with S&P, Italian Seasoning, and red chili if using, 
and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown the Italian sausage, crumbling into medium sized chunks as you cook. Once it’s close to cooked, add coconut oil if there isn’t enough fat from the sausage (about a tablespoon). Add the onions, tomatoes, & mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes or until they soften. Then add the garlic, spinach, and basil and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Finally, add the tomato sauce and adjust seasoning to your liking.
In a glass baking dish (a deeper dish is better, like a loaf pan…) grease the dish and then layer, zucchini, meat & veggies sauce, ricotta mixture, cheese (both of them), over and over until you reach the top. I used 2 smaller dishes, but as long as you can get 2-3 layers you’re good. Finish with the mozzarella on top.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until warm throughout and the cheese on top starts to brown.