Okay, so I’ve been getting some requests for healthy recipes. I generally am not the healthiest eater. I can picture all my friends and family saying “who, you?” sarcastically as they read that. But no, I’m not, and I’ll be the first to admit it. I’m even daydreaming about the pizza I’m eating for dinner tonight as I write this.
The sauce I use for this recipe is the sauce I use for everything that requires red sauce because it is amazing, tastes so much better than sauce from a jar, and really pretty simple and easy to make. The sugar is the secret ingredient.
Serves 3-4
(1/3) Cup Sugar
(2-3) Large chicken breasts {can substitute chicken or turkey sausage as well, in which case use 3-4 links, casing removed}
Here’s what you do:
1) Cut chicken into chunks and sauté over medium heat with garlic in a in a medium sized saucepan, drain. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and stir well. Add parsley, basil, fennel, and sugar. Cook over medium heat until bubbling, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to simmer for around an hour, stirring occasionally.
2) While sauce is cooking, slice zucchini into thin slices (I used a cheese slicer and it worked well). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3) In a 9×13 baking dish, spread a layer of of sauce. On top of that place a layer of zucchini “noodles” followed by another layer of cheese and top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of zucchini, sauce and mozzarella, and then repeat.
4) Cover in tin foil and place in oven. Bake for 45 minutes, remove tin foil and scatter croutons on top. Cook uncovered an additional 10 minutes. Let cool before serving. Enjoy!
![]() |
This sounds delicious! So cool to put the croutons in it.
I love adding croutons to recipes! I also love just snacking on them all the time haha!