This bread lasagna is easier to make than a traditional lasagna, because instead of cooking pasta, you use sliced sourdough bread! It’s one of those “aha!” cooking moments that completely changes how you think about a dish.
Layered with sauce, cheese, and sweet zucchini, this lasagna recipe has just 6 ingredients, and it’ll probably be the easiest lasagna you’ve ever made. Plus, it’s so brilliant and tasty, I might just prefer it over lasagna made with pasta!
Giving Credit Where It Is Due
I stumbled across this genius idea while watching Lidia Bastianich on one of her shows (honestly, that woman is a treasure trove of Italian wisdom), and let me tell you – my mind was completely blown. Lasagna made with crusty bread instead of pasta? It sounds almost too simple to be good, but trust me—trust Lidia!—it’s gooooood.
She calls it Zucchini Parmigiana, but in my mind, this is a lasagna! She even drops the word lasagna in the episode. (I can’t remember which episode it was, but here’s a YouTube video of her making it so you can see the lady herself at work).
I love watching Lidia’s cooking shows, not just because they remind me of the old-school stand-and-stir cooking shows of my youth (ah, youth), but also because she never fails to teach me something new. Her cooking feels very authentic and a lot like how we approach Chinese cuisine—using what you have on hand, prioritizing seasonal vegetables, cooking without waste, and making comforting home-cooked dishes that feel accessible.
Italian cuisine is so ingrained in American culture, it can seem like you’ve seen every trick in the book already, but making a lasagna with crusty bread was a new one for me.
The day after I saw the episode, I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, and I made it for dinner. Long story short: I loved it. Justin loved it. Ethan loved it.
In the couple months since I saw that episode, I’ve made this lasagna 4 times. I’m not one to repeat recipes from week to week, so that is a HUGE compliment to this delicious dish.
Why I Love This Bread Lasagna So Much
Okay, so I’m guessing you probably have a go-to lasagna recipe in your back pocket. It’s one of those foods that’s so comforting—so universally-liked—that everyone has their own version. Why make this one?
Here’s what I love about it:
- It’s ridiculously simple: We’re talking just six ingredients here, people: zucchini, mozzarella, parmesan or grana padano, good jarred marinara, crusty bread (we like sourdough), and fresh basil. That’s it! The basil is even optional, so you could get away with just five ingredients if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
- No fussy prep work: No boiling lasagna noodles, no cheese mixtures, no warming of the marinara sauce. The only thing you need to do is boil the zucchini to par-cook it, which really retains the sweetness of the squash and yields a perfect texture in the finished dish. It’s the easiest lasagna you’ll ever make!
- It’s a full one-pan meal: This is a complete meal that comes together in a single baking dish. No need for sides, no extra dishes to wash. Just pure, comforting deliciousness that feeds the whole family. You could add meat to it if you like, but I love it as a vegetarian dinner!
- The texture of the bread is soooo good: Once the bread, sauce, and cheese have all “gelled together,” as Lidia put it on her show, the result is almost like a savory bread pudding. The bread is custard-like and soooo delicious.
I just love it so much, I knew I had to document it. I made some light modifications to Lidia’s recipe. There are actually some differences between the method she demonstrated on her show and the written version on her website. I tried both.
I think I’ve synthesised the ideal method for our tastes. Baking more slowly (covered) at a lower temperature yields that jiggly custard-like bread texture, and then a shorter bake uncovered gets you the crispy top, and the basil (which she didn’t use on the show) was a really nice addition in the written version.
I didn’t add salt to the zucchini either, as I think the cheese and marinara (as long as it’s well-seasoned) provided plenty of salt.
Zucchini Bread Lasagna: Recipe Instructions
Lightly adapted from Lidia Bastianich’s Zucchini Parmigiana.
Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375°F/190°C. You don’t want the lasagna pan to be too close to the top or bottom heating elements in the oven, or you might burn/scorch the lasagna.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole zucchini, and bring back to a boil. Cover and simmer until the zucchini are almost tender throughout, about 13-15 minutes. (13 minutes for smaller zucchini, and 15 minutes for thicker zucchini.)
Combine the mozzarella and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Drain the zucchini, cool, and slice lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices.
Tip!
If using a glass or enameled cast iron baking dish, I don’t find it necessary to grease/butter it before assembling the lasagna. If using a foil pan or metal baking dish, however, I would butter it before starting to assemble the lasagna!
In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread ½ cup of marinara sauce along the bottom.
Top with one even layer of bread, cutting slices of bread to fit as necessary. Then add a layer of marinara sauce, making sure to cover all the exposed bread.
Then add a layer of cheese and half the basil (if using). Next, add a layer of zucchini slices.
Continue layering as follows: sauce, cheese, bread, sauce, cheese, the remaining basil, and the remaining zucchini.
(Adding all those layers of sauce will help the bread get that gooey texture we’re looking for!)
Finish with another layer of sauce and cheese on top. If you have any remaining tomato sauce, dollop the rest of it on top.
Cover tightly with foil, and place the lasagna pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes.
Then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Let the lasagna set for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Recipe
Zucchini Bread Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 pounds medium zucchini (3-4 zucchini)
- 16 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese or grana padano
- 32 ounces marinara sauce (we like Rao’s)
- 12 ounces sourdough or other crusty bread (about 6-8 large ½-inch/1cm thick slices)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375°F/190°C. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole zucchini, and bring back to a boil. Cover and simmer until the zucchini are almost tender throughout, about 13-15 minutes (13 minutes for smaller zucchini, and 15 minutes for thicker zucchini).
- Combine the mozzarella and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Drain the zucchini, cool, and slice lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices.
- In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread ½ cup of marinara sauce along the bottom, and top with one even layer of bread, cutting slices of bread to fit as necessary. Then add a layer of marinara sauce, followed by a layer of cheese and half the basil, sprinkled evenly (if using). Then add a layer of zucchini slices.
- Continue layering as follows: sauce, cheese, bread, sauce, cheese, the remaining basil, and the remaining zucchini. Finish with another layer of sauce and cheese on top, and if you have any remaining tomato sauce, dollop the rest of it on top.
- Cover tightly with foil, and place the lasagna pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Let the lasagna set for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
