Lasagna without pasta!

We don't eat pasta anymore, as I don't believe it is a healthy food.  But I ADORE my homemade spaghetti sauce, so thanks to an idea I got from a friend recently, I made this lasagna.

Lasagna Without Pasta

Sauce
 
1 # ground meat.  I used venison, but I am sure others would work as well.
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tablespoons bacon grease (or lard, butter or coconut oil)
1 quart canned tomatoes, drained
1 small can tomato paste
1 Tablespoon dried Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Cheeses

1/2 # grated cheese of your choice.  I used homemade farmhouse cheddar
1/2 # cottage cheese
grated Parmesan to serve with the lasagna, if desired 

"Pasta"

Cabbage leaves, steamed 15 minutes and then rinsed in cold water (I can't tell you how many)
1 medium zucchini  squash, sliced with a julienne peeler (see below)  Do not slice beyond where the seeds grow.  Just use the outside parts.

Melt bacon grease in a heavy frying pan, add the onion and saute until partially cooked.
Add the meat, and chop it up and cook it until it is all browned.
Add  the drained tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian Seasoning and salt.  Simmer, stirring often while you prepare the vegetables and grate the cheese.

I use a julienne peeler to prepare my zucchini and then saute it for a little while in some olive oil.  Here is the peeler:

And here is the zucchini after being sauteed.  I can't tell you how long to cook it.  Do it on medium/low heat, and stir a lot until it gets kind of limp:

Then, in a 9 inch square glass baking pan, which has been well buttered, place the steamed cabbage leaves, about 2 deep.  Add 1/3 of the sauce, 1/3 of the cheese, 1/3 of the cottage cheese.  Then, spread out the zucchini.  Then as before, the sauce, cheese and cottage cheese.  The last layer will be more cabbage, sauce cottage cheese and cheese.  

You will need to gauge how much of everything so as to not overflow the dish.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.  Allow to set for 15 minutes before serving.  There will be some juice, but not a lot.

You can sprinkle on Parmesan if you wish.

Very yummy and even my husband likes it!  :)