Summer
It’s scores of fireflies at dusk
And glass in bare feet
It’s warm baguettes from the shop down the street
And mosquito bites on ankles
It’s riding bikes to the beach with no shoes
And laying in bed on hot nights under cool fans
It’s swimming until your toes pickle in the salt
And teenagers saying they’re bored
It’s rainy day visits to the library for more videos than you’ll ever watch
And wondering if the jellyfish sting
It’s eating blackberries until your fingers stain purple
And checking for ticks
It’s leaving bikes on the side of the road that nobody steals
And too many people in too small a house
It’s going to the oyster shack by ferry, not car
And waking up to toddlers laughing or crying or both
It’s digging for clams
And cooking and cleaning, only to start cooking again
It’s missing the people back home
And loving the people you’re with
It’s buying up every last zucchini at the farm stand
And making something too good not to share
Cheesy Zucchini Tofu “Lasagna”
It makes little sense to do this sort of oven cookery in the heat of summer, but the results are too tasty not to (plus it comes together with ease). Slabs of zucchini play the role of pasta, fresh Mozzarella gets swapped in for ricotta, and tofu makes the dish both light and sustaining. The whole thing gets smothered in tomato sauce and baked until bubbly. My kids love it just as much as I do. If you like a kick of heat, stir a big pinch of chili flakes or a few teaspoons of minced Calabrian chiles into the tomato sauce. I like to serve this with a warm baguette for sopping up all the tasty juices.
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini (5 medium)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and sliced into ¼-inch thick slabs
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 12 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 3 cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce, 24-ounce jar (See Notes)
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Trim off the very top and bottom of the zucchini. Cut them lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slabs. Put on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle on ½ teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Use your hands to coat everything. Spread them out on the baking sheet. It’s ok if they overlap a little.
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Lay the tofu on a separate baking sheet and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, the remaining salt, and more black pepper.
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Bake the zucchini and tofu for 10 minutes.
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To assemble, lay half the zucchini in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan in one snug layer. Lay all the tofu, evenly spaced, on top of the zucchini. Spread half of the tomato sauce over everything. Lay on all of the Mozzarella in one layer. Lay the remaining zucchini in the pan. Spread on the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
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Bake for 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
I’ve recently discovered Rao’s brand pasta sauce and am hooked. If you can find it, use it to make this lasagna. I’ve used both the Tomato Basil and the Roasted Eggplant Sauce.
Comments
07.21.2017 at4:35 AM #
Les
This looks delicious. How many servings does this recipe make? And can it be frozen?
07.21.2017 at4:35 AM #
Katie Morford
Serves 6 to 8. And I haven’t tried freezing it, but I would imagine if wrapped well, it would work.
07.21.2017 at5:26 AM #
Diane Norwood
Oh, this looks so good, I will have to try it. I love baking tofu, but never thought to put it in my zoodle lasagna! Thanks for sharing.
07.21.2017 at5:26 AM #
Katie Morford
The tofu kind of just blends right in there with the other ingredients and since it sort of looks like fresh Mozzarella, even the folks the table who aren’t crazy for tofu didn’t notice.
07.21.2017 at10:44 AM #
Pam Hochman
Looks great! Also, Rao’s is the only jarred sauce I ever buy. It occasionally goes on sale so I stock up. Also Bed Bath and Beyond carries it, so you can use those 20% off coupons you get every week in the mail for it!
07.21.2017 at10:44 AM #
Katie Morford
Good to know, Pam. I’ve only discovered it being on the east coast this summer. You can also order it on Thrive Market at a pretty good price.
07.21.2017 at10:44 AM #
Tracy
Great tip on Rao’s. Thank you!
07.21.2017 at10:44 AM #
Kristen Daniel
great tip…bought 4 jars at 9th St. B, B, and B this weekend! perfect back to school meal.
07.27.2017 at11:05 AM #
Lauren Harris-Pincus
This sounds sooooo amazing! Something I would totally make and an easy way to enjoy tofu too. 🙂
07.27.2017 at11:05 AM #
Katie Morford
The tofu totally goes under the radar but adds a punch of protein.
08.07.2017 at11:11 AM #
Anne Mullen
Our granddaughter claims not to like either zucchini or tofu, but she had this with you and said it was delicious. Of course, she says that about everything she has with your family, but her ringing endorsement will get me to try this soon. Thanks.
08.07.2017 at11:11 AM #
Katie Morford
Thanks for the feedback, Anne. It always feels like success when endorsed by a teenager!
07.07.2020 at5:52 PM #
Dag8
I make this often during summer. It’s delicious and I wish I’d know how to upload a picture of the finished dish to this reply bcs it looks gas great as it tastes.
Katie, I hope that you’ll be able to make it again with your sister SOON!
Thank you!
07.07.2020 at5:52 PM #
Katie Morford
So glad you like it. It’s on my list of recipes I want to make in the next week…it’s the season! And yes, I’d love to cook with my sister soon 🙂
01.20.2022 at1:03 PM #
Sarah
My family and I loved this recipe! Thank you, Katie, for your ideas and inspiration. One addition, I added sliced and pre-roasted cremini mushrooms to one of the zucchini layers – even more yum! 🙂
01.20.2022 at1:03 PM #
Katie Morford
That sounds like a fabulous addition, especially during cold weather months when mushrooms are really comforting.
07.19.2023 at6:21 AM #
Nancy
From your poem: And glass in bare feet …. I hope that was supposed to be grass in bare feet!
07.19.2023 at6:21 AM #
Katie Morford
I wrote it as glass, but it could be grass, too 🙂