Zucchini Lasagna with Meat

Cook and stir ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until the meat is crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Remove excess fat from the pan and combine with basil, oregano, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, tomatoes, and tomato paste into the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with some oil to prevent sticking.

Combine eggs, ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl until everything is well mixed together. Remove the skin from several zucchinis, lengthwise, and cut them into long strips to resemble lasagna noodles. Discard any seedy middle sections.

Place 1/3 of the zucchini strips at the bottom of the prepared baking dish, filling in any gaps with scraps of zucchini. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the zucchini, followed by 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Spread half of the meat sauce over the mozzarella cheese, then repeat the layers once more: 1/3 of zucchini strips, remaining half of the ricotta mixture, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 of the meat sauce. Finish with a layer of remaining zucchini strips, remaining meat sauce, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Bake the lasagna in a preheated oven until it's bubbling and the top is browned, about 1 hour. If the top starts browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking time. Sprinkle an additional 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top and bake until it's melted, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.