This recipe is from food blog, “Taste of Lizzy T” and is such a great idea, using the pizza flavors, but none of the carbs. It’s more of a casserole, so don’t expect it to be a pizza alternative, it just has all those great flavors.
4 cups shredded zucchini (you can use drained, frozen zucchini or fresh zucchini, salted with 1 tsp salt and drained to get rid of excess moisture)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup shredded good quality Parmesan cheese
1.2 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
32 ounces meaty spaghetti sauce*
2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
4-6 oz pepperoni
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
Green pepper
Onions
Mushrooms
PREPARE THE ZUCCHINI:
The success of this recipe partly depends on the zucchini. If the zucchini is frozen, allow it to drain well. I let mine sit in a colander for several hours draining. If the zucchini is fresh, sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon of salt, stir and let the zucchini sit in a colander for 20 minutes.
After the zucchini (either fresh or frozen) has drained, use a clean lint-free kitchen towel to squeeze any excess liquid from the zucchini. Squeezing out as much liquid as possible will help your casserole to not be watery.
MAKE THE CASSEROLE:
Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 400º F
In a bowl, mix up the drained zucchini, eggs, cheeses, salt, garlic and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes. The crust should be lightly browned.
Spread the meat sauce evenly over the crust. (Or the browned meat and sauce)
Then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top.
Top with sliced pepperoni.
Bake for 20 more minutes or until the “pizza” is heated through and the cheese is melted. If you would like it slightly browned, put it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, but watch it closely.
Let the casserole sit for 3 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
*We use our spaghetti sauce that already has meat in it. You can also brown a pound of ground beef or Italian sausage, drain the fat and then add that to another spaghetti sauce. You can also use pizza sauce. Just make sure you have about 4 cups.
Please note: This recipe is more like a casserole. If you want it more like a pizza style, use less sauce.