Serves 8
Notes
This makes a large lasagna, ideal for leftovers. You can vary the cheese (use any good melting cheese) and vegetables (just use ones that aren’t too dense; I wouldn’t use root vegetables, for example) here to suit what you have on hand. In fact, that’s what this recipe is all about, using odds and ends you’ve got left over in your kitchen to make something hearty and delicious. To get nice clean slices, don’t forget to let the lasagna rest before cutting. It will stay piping hot for at least 30 minutes out of the oven.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
- 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Grana Padano
- Twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices day-old country bread
- 3 cups grated low-moisture mozzarella
- 3 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced lengthwise (about 1 pound)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto cotto or mortadella
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Have all of your ingredients on the counter before you begin preparing the lasagna.
Sprinkle the bottom and sides of the baking dish with about 1/4 cup Grana Padano. Fit half of the bread slices in the bottom of the dish in one layer, breaking them to fit if needed. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Grana Padano and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Lay over this half of the sliced zucchini (it’s okay if the slices overlap a little), and season with salt and pepper.
Spread 1 cup marinara sauce over the zucchini. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Grana Padano. Add all of the prosciutto cotto or ham in one layer. Add the final layer of zucchini; then sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Fit the final layer of bread over the top. Press down with your palms, to compress everything in the dish. Spread the remaining 2 cups sauce over the bread. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Grana Padano over the top.
Cover the baking dish with foil, tenting it so it doesn’t touch the cheese, and bake until the edges are bubbly, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake until the top is deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let it sit about 15 minutes before serving.
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
