The zucchini, ham and provola lasagna is a rich, creamy and incredibly melty first course, with a touch of freshness from the zucchini. It’s a white lasagna with a delicate, enveloping flavor — ideal for Sunday lunch, a family dinner or when you have guests and want to make a good impression without complicating your life.
The star is a homemade velvety zucchini cream, scented with basil and enriched with pine nuts and extra virgin olive oil, giving the dish a smooth texture and balanced flavor. Adding to the temptation are the cubes of cooked ham — flavorful but delicate — and the provola which turns melty and golden on top in the oven.
This lasagna is an explosion of textures: the smooth, enveloping cream, the lightly crisped sautéed zucchini, the béchamel that ties each layer together and that gratinated crust that forms on the surface after 25 minutes in the oven. Every forkful is a perfect balance of sweetness, savoriness and creaminess.
This is a simple recipe to prepare: some of the zucchini are blended to create a thick cream, and some are sautéed to give character to the filling. The layers alternate generously with fresh lasagna sheets, béchamel (you can make it yourself with this light, easy and tasty version: Light Butter-Free Béchamel), cooked ham and provola, finishing with a rich and inviting final layer.
If you’re looking for a variation on the classic ragù lasagna, this white version is the ideal choice: lighter in flavor but just as satisfying. Save it among your favorite recipes, because once you try it it will become one of those dishes everyone will ask for again and again.
Also try these other appetizing lasagnas:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for Zucchini, Ham and Provola Lasagna
- 9 oz lasagna sheets
- 2.2 lbs zucchini
- 3.5 oz cooked ham, high quality
- 7 oz provola cheese
- 0.83 cups béchamel
- 1 oz pine nuts (about 3½ tbsp)
- 0.5 cup fresh basil leaves (about 10 g)
- 1 shallot
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 pinches salt
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
Preparation of Zucchini, Ham and Provola Lasagna
Trim and clean the zucchini. Cut one zucchini into cubes and leave the remaining ones in larger pieces.
Blanch the coarsely chopped zucchini for about ten minutes, drain well and place them in a blender. Add the pine nuts, basil leaves and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until you obtain a thick, homogeneous cream. Finally, season with three pinches of salt.
In a pan, lightly brown the shallot, cut into wedges, and add the zucchini cubes. Salt and cook over medium heat until they are browned.
Cut the cooked ham and part of the provola into cubes; slice the remaining provola.
Spread a few tablespoons of the zucchini cream on the bottom of a baking dish.
Form a first layer of lasagna sheets (I used fresh ones that don’t need pre-cooking) and fill with zucchini cream, béchamel, half of the zucchini cubes, half of the cooked ham and half of the cubed provola.
Then form a second lasagna layer, filling it the same way as the previous one.
Complete with a third layer of lasagna and cover with the remaining zucchini cream, béchamel, sliced provola and dried parsley.
Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for 25 minutes.
Storage of Zucchini Cream, Ham and Provola Lasagna
The zucchini, ham and provola lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, well covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Before serving again, I recommend reheating it in the oven at 338°F for about 10-15 minutes, covering it with aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out too much on the surface.
You can also freeze it:
Cooked: let it cool completely, then divide into portions and freeze for up to 2 months.
Raw: assemble it in the baking dish, cover well and freeze. When ready to use, bake directly from frozen, slightly extending the cooking time.
Related Recipes
Lasagna with Pork Ragù and Porcini
Baked Pasta with Broccoli Cream and Béchamel
Baked Pasta with Cooked Ham and Peas
FAQ
Can I use dried lasagna sheets?
Yes, but in that case make sure there is enough béchamel and zucchini cream to provide the proper hydration during cooking. Alternatively, blanch them for a few minutes before assembling the layers.
What can I substitute for provola?
You can use scamorza, well-drained mozzarella or a mix of melting cheeses. The important thing is to choose a cheese that melts well in the oven.
Can it be made without béchamel?
Yes, but the texture will be less creamy. You can replace it with ricotta worked with a splash of milk or slightly increase the quantity of zucchini cream.
