Boasting 2 pounds (!) of zucchini this easy, baked ground beef zucchini casserole feels like a rich, comforting, cheesy baked pasta, but with tons of “hidden” zucchini. The secret? Shredding the zucchini so it essentially dissolves into the sauce. It’s giving Italian lasagna vibes, but with heaps of veggies, juuuuust enough pasta, marinara sauce, and a sprinkling of gooey, melty cheese; all layered and baked to perfection.
5 star review
“Ok…this is my second recipe this week to make off your website (we have so many zucchini and you’ve been rocking the zucc recipes!)…this is FANTASTIC!!! Highly recommend.”
– Sarah
Lasagna Vibes, But Fresher
Imagine a cheesy, saucy baked pasta, but fresher, lighter, and packed with veggies – that’s this beef zucchini casserole!
Just like my top-rated chicken zucchini casserole, I’ve packed LOTS, I mean lots of zucchini (4 cups to be exact) into this casserole, but you wouldn’t know it since I’ve used a trick to “hide” the veggies by simply grating the zucchini so it cooks right into the marinara sauce, essentially melting into oblivion, a strategy that’s especially useful if you (or someone you’re feeding) doesn’t like the texture of zucchini or if you just have a lot of zucchini on hand that you need to use ASAP.
And can we talk about how easy this casserole is?
It takes just 15 minutes to prep the zucchini and sauce and then layer it with uncooked pasta, a cottage cheese and Italian herb blend, and shredded cheese.
You may notice I’m using uncooked pasta in this casserole and that’s for two very good reasons… 1) as the casserole bakes, the pasta soaks up all the zucchini liquid and prevents the casserole from getting soggy, and 2) it saves you time, effort and dishes.
Now, for the marinara sauce – I love using my super flavorful and easy marinara sauce, but to make the meal even easier, use any good quality store-bought marinara sauce (just make sure you like the flavor since it’s a prominent flavor).
Finally, I like using cottage cheese in this recipe for the protein factor, but ricotta cheese works just as well.
I’m personally incapable of eating this saucy casserole without crusty garlic bread, but hey you do you!
Tip
If you really want to “hide” the zucchini, you can also peel it first so that the green color isn’t detectable in the sauce.
Make it Gluten-Free
This casserole can easily be made gluten free by using your favorite small gluten-free pasta.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make Ground Beef & Zucchini Casserole
A Leftovers Winner
This is one of those recipes that almost tastes better the next day! It keeps really well stored and covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s even light and balanced enough for lunch.
Italian Ground Beef Zucchini Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion small diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 ¼ pounds lean ground beef
- 2 pounds zucchini (about 4 medium) grated using the large holes of a box grater
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
- 24-ounces marinara sauce
- 16-ounces low fat cottage cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend divided
- 2 cups dry farfalle (bow tie) pasta (uncooked)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Heat a large pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil, the onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Turn the heat to high, add an additional 1 teaspoon olive oil, the beef, and ¼ teaspoon salt, stirring to break the meat into small pieces. Cook until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, ½ teaspoon salt, and the garlic powder. Cook until the zucchini is very soft and has given off all of its liquid (about 10 minutes on high), stirring frequently.
- When the pan is almost dry (the zucchini has given off most of its liquid) add the marinara sauce, stirring to combine. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- While the sauce simmers, in a medium bowl stir together the cottage cheese, egg, and ½ cup Italian cheese blend until well combined.
- Grease or spray a 9×13 ceramic baking dish. Carefully transfer the zucchini-beef sauce to the baking dish, smoothing into an even layer.
- Layer the dry pasta in an even layer on top, lightly pressing down into the sauce.
- Dollop the cottage cheese mixture on top of the pasta, spreading into an even layer.
- Sprinkle evenly with the remaining ½ cup Italian cheese blend.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until browned on top. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes for more even serving.
Nutrition
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