Easy Zucchini Lasagna

Learn how to make this lower-carb zucchini lasagna! Every bite has the flavors of a classic lasagne but with vegetable noodles instead of pasta. Each layer is rich in garlicky flavor, melted Italian cheeses, and lots of basil for freshness!

A white oval-shaped dish with baked zucchini lasagna in it. The dish of lasagna is sitting on a wooden background with fresh herbs and a dark gray napkin next to it.

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of anything related to pasta, luscious red sauce, and melty cheese. I’m obsessed with Italian food, but I try to keep it balanced because Italian cuisine tends to be higher in carbs. And that’s where this healthy zucchini recipe comes in!

Zucchini lasagna is a modern twist on regular lasagna! It’s made with layers of baked zucchini instead of pasta noodles. Between each layer are all the classics of regular lasagna that we know and love – a cheesy ricotta filling, fresh basil & oregano, and rich marinara!

It’s low-carb yet decadent and cheesy! I am so certain you and your family will love this recipe.

Ingredients Needed

You’ll need just a handful of Italian cheeses, fresh produce, and fresh herbs to make this recipe. Here’s the full list: Zucchini (yellow or green), Parmigiano Reggiano (fresh parmesan), mozzarella (low moisture), ricotta, garlic cloves, egg, fresh basil, fresh oregano, and marinara sauce.

Ingredients for zucchini lasagna arranged on a wooden board.

Let’s Make Zucchini Lasagna – Step by Step

How to Cut Zucchini Noodles

1

Use a mandoline slicer. The most important step in mastering zucchini lasagna is getting precise cuts for the noodles. I like to use a mandoline slicer for this, set the tool to 1/8 inch cuts and always use the guard to protect your hands!

2

Or use a chef’s knife. Another way you can cut the zucchini into noodles is slicing the ends off, standing the zucchini upright, and using a chefs knife to eyeball 1/8 inch cuts. I would only recommend this step if you are experienced with a chef’s knife. Be very careful if you do this step.

A collage of two photos showing how to cut lasagna into noodles. The first photo is showing how to use a mandoline slicer, and the second photo is showing how to cut the lasagna noodles with a knife.

How to Make Zucchini Noodles Less Watery

3

Salt the zucchini. In order to remove excess moisture, you have to salt the zucchini. Arrange the noodles on paper towels and lightly salt them, then let them sit for 10 minutes. Pat them dry when finished and wipe off the salt.

4

Pre-bake the zucchini noodles. The next step to ensure the noodles are soft and not watery, is to bake them. Place the noodles on trays lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes at 375F. Then pat dry when they’re removed from the oven.

A collage of two photos showing steps for how to make zucchini lasagna. The first photo is a hand patting dry excess moisture from the zucchini noodles. The second photo is the zucchini noodles baked on a sheet pan.

Assemble the Lasagna

5

Mix the ricotta filling. In a small to medium-sized bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh basil, egg, and pinch of salt & black pepper.

6

Layer the lasagna. Next, in a 13×9 baking dish, spread a thin layer of marinara, and a layer of zucchini noodles.

7

Add the ricotta and herbs. Next, spread a thin layer of ricotta and sprinkle the chopped basil and oregano over top.

A collage of three photos showing how to assemble zucchini lasagna. The first photo is a spoon in a small white bowl with ricotta cheese filling with fresh herbs. The second photo is a white oval dish with tomato sauce and zucchini noodles in it. The third photos is the same white dish with ricotta cheese spread over the zucchini noodles in it.
8

Top with cheese and repeat. Next, add a layer of mozzarella and a little parmesan cheese. Then repeat until finished with sauce, zucchini noodles, ricotta, herbs, and cheese.

9

Final layer and bake. Top the last layer of the lasagna with mozzerella and parmesan. Bake uncovered at 375F for 40-45 minutes, broil on HIGH for 1 minute for the cheese to brown. Then slice and serve!

A collage of two photos showing how to layer and make zucchini lasagna. The first photo is red sauce and cheese being layered in a white oval dish on a wooden background. The second photo is the same white dish completely layered with shredded cheese on top.

How to Reheat

If refrigerated or frozen, the lasagna can be easily reheated.

Preheat oven to 350F for refrigerated lasagna and reheat for around 15 minutes until warm.
For unbaked frozen lasagna, let thaw and bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbling. 

Tips For Success

Tip

Slice Vegetables Like a Pro

Mandoline Slicer

I love using this mandoline slicer to get consistent cuts of zucchini for this recipe – it makes my life so much easier! It's a safe and efficient way to slice all types of vegetables. A must-have for your kitchen.

  • Slice zucchini noodles: Use a mandoline slicer to get precise, thin noodle cuts with the zucchini. If you are experienced with a chef’s knife and feel comfortable, you can slice the zucchini noodles with a knife. Please be very careful doing this step. 
  • Use our favorite marinara (homemade or store-bought): For this recipe, you can use my family’s San Marzano Tomato Sauce or my family’s favorite store-bought marinara!
  • Tips for fresh flavor: I think fresh herbs make all the difference! I love layering lasagna with chopped fresh basil and even fresh oregano. Remember, dried herbs do not give as much flavor as fresh herbs.
  • Don’t love ricotta? Ricotta can be a bit heavy; I know not everyone loves it. You can remove the ricotta filling from this recipe and layer it with parmesan, mozzarella, marinara, and lots of fresh basil. It tastes just as delicious and is a little less heavy!
  • Add protein – if you’d like to add protein to this dish, you can use cooked ground chicken, turkey, or ground beef. For a vegetarian option, you can use cooked lentils. Layer the protein of choice in with each layer and bake with the dish!

Serving Suggestions

Pasta. One of our favorite things to serve with this lasagna is pasta! Whether using gluten-free pasta made with chickpeas or our favorite whole-grain pasta. If you want to keep it low-carb, you can skip the pasta!

Protein. If you want to add a serving of protein alongside this lasagna, pair it with our 15-minute lemon chicken piccata, our secret ingredient Italian meatballs, or chicken parmesan!

Salad. Whenever we make this dish, we always serve it alongside an Italian or Mediterranean-style salad, such as our Tuscan artichoke salad, Panzanella salad, or our go-to Greek chickpea salad!

Bread. Lastly, crusty Italian bread is a lasagna’s best friend! You can do an Italian loaf, healthy grain bread, or sourdough.

A silver spatula in a oval white dish with zucchini lasagna.

Love Zucchini? Try these Recipes!

When summer comes, I am always making zucchini dishes! If you love this lasagna, you might also love our zucchini rollatini, baked parmesan zucchini fries, zucchini meatballs, or this eggplant & zucchini lasagna!

If you tried this Easy Zucchini Lasagna recipe or any other recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, and FACEBOOK for more crave-worthy content.

A white oval-shaped dish with baked zucchini lasagna in it. The dish of lasagna is sitting on a wooden background with fresh herbs and a dark gray napkin next to it.

Easy Zucchini Lasagna

4.88 from 32 votes

Learn how to make this lower carb zucchini lasagna! Every bite has the flavors of a classic lasagne but with vegetable noodles instead of pasta. Each layer is rich in garlicky flavor, melted Italian cheeses, and lots of basil for freshness!

Servings 8 slices
Prep Time: 40 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Tags: healthy lasagna, how to make zucchini lasagna, zucchini lasagna
Freezer Friendly: Yes
Calories: 196 kcal
Author: Bethany Kramer

Ingredients

  • 4-5 medium-large zucchinis, sliced thin (1/8-inch cuts)
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 3 cups mozzarella, shredded
  • 3 cups tomato sauce
  • 2 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh basil

Ricotta filling

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (drained of liquids)
  • 1/4 cups parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (for dried basil use 2 Tablespoons)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.  

  2. Salt & pre-bake zucchini noodles: arrange zucchini slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with salt – let sit for 5-10 minutes so zucchini "sweats" any excess moisture. Use paper towels to press and dry zucchini noodles, and wipe off any extra salt. Then bake noodles for 8-10 minutes – pat them dry after baking. Note: pre-baking the zucchini will help dry up even more moisture from the noodles.

  3. Ricotta filling: in a medium-sized bowl, mix all of ricotta filling ingredients together.

  4. Layer ingredients: In a 13×9 baking dish, layer lasagna: spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, add layer of cooked zucchini noodles, thin layer of ricotta filling, and mozzarella cheese & little parmesan, and generous sprinkle of freshly cut oregano & basil. Repeat each step until finished. On top layer with sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. 

  5. Bake: Leave dish uncovered and bake for 40-45 minutes, then broil on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes until cheese is browned. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Slice and enjoy! 

Notes

Tips for properly cutting zucchini into noodles (two ways)

Use a mandoline slicer: mandoline slicer is a great option to get precise vegetables cut without using a chef knife.

Cut with a chef knife: If you are experienced with a chef’s knife and feel comfortable, you can slice the zucchini noodles with a sharp knife. Remove the top and bottom stems of the zucchini, stand upright and carefully slice from top to bottom into 1/4-inch thick slices. Please be very careful doing this step. 

Nutrition Facts
Easy Zucchini Lasagna
Amount Per Serving
Calories 196 Calories from Fat 75
% Daily Value*
Fat 8.3g13%
Cholesterol 58.2mg19%
Carbohydrates 8.7g3%
Sugar 4.1g5%
Protein 22.8g46%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Bethany Kramer

Bethany Kramer is the cook and photographer behind A Simple Palate. She found a deep love for food and nutrition after learning to cook from her mom at eight years old. Since then she’s been developing and sharing recipes from her own kitchen that are bold in flavor and nourishing to the body!

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Recipe Rating




97 Comments

  • Made this tonight, it is sooooo good! Didn’t miss the pasta! Spiced things up with some red pepper flakes. Would make this again.

  • Avatar for Adrienne Adrienne says:

    5 stars
    Delicious!!! First time making this and everyone loves it! Put mushrooms in it since we all love mushrooms. Going to make this again and a new family favorite.

  • Avatar for Jim Jim says:

    Made it tonight! I will make it many more times! Awesome meal for all!

  • Avatar for Robin Robin says:

    You say be careful using a mandolin!

  • Avatar for Annie Annie says:

    This was sooo phenomenal! I’ve been wanting to try zucchini lasagna for a while now, and this recipe delivered! I don’t even like zucchini, but I’m trying to eat more low carb. I couldn’t even taste the it, and it had the texture of pasta. I did make a couple changes – I baked the zucchini with a brushing of olive oil at 450 for 10 minutes, and I also added some Impossible ground ‘beef’ and sautéed mushrooms. Thank you for this recipe, it’s incredibly delicious!

    • Avatar for Bethany Bethany says:

      Thank you so much, Annie! I’m so glad this was your first time trying zucchini in lasagna. It really is such a surprise! I love to make it, so happy to hear you enjoyed it 🙂

  • Avatar for Debbie Debbie says:

    Hey Bethany, I’m getting ready to make this recipe for my small group at church. How would I change the recipe up to add ground beef? I know the question is crazy, but I’m a recipe follower and not that great at winging it. Thanks!

    • Avatar for Bethany Bethany says:

      Hi Debbie! Hope i’m getting back to you in time:) I would brown the ground beef in a pan until cooked, then layer it in with the ingredients! I hope that helps, and hope you enjoy the recipe!

  • Avatar for Chelsea Chelsea says:

    If already cooked can I freeze the rest for later?

  • Avatar for Jane Jane says:

    4 stars
    Very good recipe, I added ground beef. The only negative I have is I found it salty, probably from salt on zucchini before

    • Avatar for Bethany Bethany says:

      Hi Jane, so glad it worked out! The saltiness is definitely from the salting the zucchini. I would make sure next time its only a little salt, and that its wiped completely off. Sorry about that!

  • Avatar for Kasey Kasey says:

    Can you also use sliced yellow squash and zucchini? What about using cottage cheese in place of the ricotta?

    • Avatar for Bethany Bethany says:

      Hi Kasey, you can certainly use yellow zucchini! And of course – use cottage cheese if you like instead of ricotta! 🙂

  • Avatar for PEGGY PEGGY says:

    5 stars
    I added some cooked Italian sausage to this recipe and substituted cottage cheese for the ricotta, because I already had it. The flavor of this dish was amazing plus it doesn’t leave the heaviness in my tummy like pasta sometimes does. This ones a keeper.

  • Avatar for Shawn Shawn says:

    I made this with Feta and Mozzarella. If you do not want the moisture it is very important not to skip the salting and pre-baking of the zucchini to remove the natural moisture. Killer flavor and gets better as it sits in the fridge.
    Nice recipe.

  • Avatar for Lucie Lucie says:

    5 stars
    Hi Bethany, greetings from Prague! Thank you so much for this recipe. I have 3 zucchini plants in the garden and they grow and grow and grow. I made a zucchini bread, zucchini schnitzels, pasta sauce, pesto and probably all other zucchini recipes but your recipe was just the best. It was super delicious, I will definitely make it again. Have a lovely summer.

  • Avatar for Mary Mary says:

    This zucchini lasagna was delicious. I followed the recipe but let the zucchini sweat 1 hour, and baked the zucchini 10 minutes….I baked the lasagna for 1 hour and let it rest 1 hour before serving.

  • Avatar for NX NX says:

    5 stars
    I just made this. Salting and baking the zucchini is key, as the recipe suggests. I actually set the zucchini out a little longer to keep sweating out that water. I have diabetes in the family and am trying to eliminate more high-glycemic carbs from my diet. I’m also a vegetarian, so this is a terrific option. (Sidebar: I added a little gorgonzola on top. If you’re into stinky cheeses, it’s divine!)

  • Avatar for Tara Tara says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and my entire family loved it. Even my Skeptic totally meat-eating husband had two helpings!!! I used two different sauces. On the bottom I put a spicy marinara and then topped with regular marinara to add an extra kick.

  • Avatar for Lindsey Lindsey says:

    5 stars
    This was soo good! I made my own meaty marinara sauce with 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound ground pork, a 28-oz can of whole San marzanos, some onion, garlic and fresh basil. Aside from that, followed the recipe almost to a t. I only needed 2 zucchinis, and didn’t broil it cause it was already browning on top. That was the only other deviation from the recipe. My family was really impressed. Even my picky husband and 5 year old loved it!

  • Avatar for Rosann Rosann says:

    5 stars
    This came out good! Glad I soaked up as much liquid as possible from the zucchini before and after pre-baking. The herbs added a lot.

  • Avatar for MowJoe MowJoe says:

    well, just placed in the oven. I did pre bake and waiting on results.
    Had some mushrooms that needed to be use so sautéed them and added some sliced roasted potatoes, may as well as use what’s in the fridg; makes me feel good 🙂 Did not use the ricotta cheese as thought it was to be too heavy like the recipe suggested

    • Avatar for Bethany Bethany says:

      So glad you were able to make some adjustments! I make my veggie lasagna and regular lasagna without ricotta nowadays and love it 🙂

  • Avatar for Mel Mel says:

    5 stars
    I make a version much like this – I saute my zucchini after salting, but before putting in the pan to bake. I’ve never had watery zucchini (but this is very time consuming). I’m going to try baking it first. Just curious. Have you ever tried baking the noodles, then freezing (after sweating them of course). It would speed up making the meal ….

    • Avatar for Bethany Bethany says:

      Hi Mel, I’ve not tried freezing them after baking but you certainly can try that! Let me know if you do. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

  • Avatar for Laura Laura says:

    5 stars
    This recipe is excellent! I made it with our own garden produce and the fresh flavors just popped. Did not miss pasta at all. One thing I did add was mushrooms which I think helped to carry the flavors.

  • Avatar for Jodie Porter Jodie Porter says:

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious! I halfed the recipe ( only two of us) and added ground beef to my homemade marinara. I subbed cottage cheese for ricotta because I had that on hand. The flavors were devine!

  • Avatar for Kristen Kristen says:

    5 stars
    First, we liked this. We aren’t zucchini fans, so when they showed up in our produce box last week, I began my search to disguise them. This did that very well. A couple things I did differently…I don’t have a mandolin and chose t slice by hand. I did NOT slice vertically, though. I sliced one side off and then put the flat side down on the cutting board and sliced the rest. I also opted to mix my fresh herbs into the ricotta mixture instead of using them as a separate layer. Should I receive zucchini again, this will be a contender.

    • Thanks so much Kristen! I’m glad the slicing could work out the other way. AND that you guys could enjoy zucchini despite not being fans of it! 🙂

  • Avatar for Dawn Morgan Dawn Morgan says:

    5 stars
    This is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC and DELICIOUS!!! I’ve made this twice now, and I can’t get enough of it! I use Rao’s jar marinara sauce, and that truly adds to the flavor. It tastes just like regular lasagna, minus the carbs.

    It’s a bit time consuming to prep, but oh-so-worth it in the end…😊Thanks for a fabulous recipe, it’s a keeper!!!!

  • Avatar for Autumn Autumn says:

    5 stars
    I made this tonight for dinner. It was DELICIOUS! I did make a couple of amendments. First, I added a huge pack of sliced mushrooms I got at Sam’s Club by cooking them and then adding a mushroom layer after each parmesan cheese layer. I ended up with three layers of mushrooms (the last layer being on top). The second thing that I did differently was used Great Value (Walmart brand) tomato, garlic, and basil pasta sauce because I didn’t have any tomato sauce on hand. It was so filling and I am definitely added this to my low-carb, but not keto meal plan.

  • Avatar for Heidi Heidi says:

    Have this baking in my oven right now and it smells amazing! Hope it tastes just as good. We started limiting our carb intake recently since my husband has diabetes and we just want to be healthier. Thanks for sharing your recipe, can’t wait to try it ! 🙂

  • Avatar for Tiffany Kreinbrink Tiffany Kreinbrink says:

    5 stars
    Fantastic! My family was very skeptical, but it tastes so good they could resist seconds.

  • Avatar for Joanne Joanne says:

    5 stars
    Was delicious exactly according to directions

  • Avatar for Amanda Imhoff Amanda Imhoff says:

    5 stars
    Wow! Made this tonight and it was better than lasagna!

  • Avatar for Laura Laura says:

    Made this with veggie magic steamed zucchini! Amazing! Just let the zucchini strain until dry!

  • Avatar for Dawn Dawn says:

    Try putting the zucchini in the oven for a bit first to dry it out

  • Avatar for John L Mabon John L Mabon says:

    Absolutely amazing and low carb on top of that.

  • Avatar for Thomas Krahling Thomas Krahling says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely the best lasagna, I have ever made, I would give it 10 stars if I could. Thanks for the recipe.

  • I’m so sorry to hear that. Zucchini’s have lots of moisture, so they can be tricky. Even my lasagna’s vary in excess moisture, but I work with it. You can also bake them for 10 minutes after salting and patting dry to really make them work!

  • Avatar for Sylvia Sylvia says:

    Delicious! I used chicken sausage which added a lot of flavor.

  • Avatar for Maz Maz says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and a keeper. I changed it a bit according to what I had, so I used cream cheese instead of ricotta and also added meat, onions and garlic to the tomato sauce. Thank you.

  • Avatar for Sara Guerra Sara Guerra says:

    Great an delicious recepie

  • Avatar for Stacey Stacey says:

    Yum!! My boyfriend and I both thought this dish was delicious! Salted the zucchini leaving it to sit for about an hour before squeezing as much liquid out best I could, found I didn’t have too much of an issue with liquid especially after leaving it to sit for about 10 mins before serving. Added steamed sliced pumpkin as an additional layer, great addition of flavour. The fresh basil is a must! Thanks for a great recipe, will definitely make again.

  • Avatar for Sharon Sharon says:

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I added ground turkey to the sauce.

  • Avatar for Delia Delia says:

    5 stars
    I am making this for the third time tonight. I follow the recipe exactly and add ground turkey. It turns out amazing and everyone loves it. Thanks for a great recipe!

  • Avatar for Sue Sue says:

    5 stars
    I made this last night. It came out really watery. I took as much moisture out of the zucchini as I could get. However, the flavor was great! I will make it and try draining the ricotta to see if that helps as far as it being watery…Thanks so much for the recipe!

    • Great idea with draining the ricotta! I will have to try that as well 🙂 Thanks sue!

    • Avatar for LISA LISA says:

      Sue, mine came out a little watery but I took some paper towel and soaked it up and then after chilling leftovers I cut into serving sizes and froze them so when I want it I just have to thaw it out and I usually microwave it.

    • Avatar for Deb Deb says:

      I used no salt crush tomatoes and Turkey sausage fowlled rest of recipe ver good Not watery at all you must bake zucchini in strips first

  • Avatar for Andrea Morgan Andrea Morgan says:

    5 stars
    Well I don’t have any eggs at the moment. is there anything I could sub?

    • The egg is just the binder, feel free to try it without it! 🙂 The ricotta may be a little harder to spread but it shouldn’t make a huge difference.

  • Avatar for Monalisa Monalisa says:

    5 stars
    Ok I made this for my mother in laws birthday. I did it my way along with the recipe. I used half noodles half zucchini. I made the sauce like was stated adding half hamburger half Italian sausage. It was such a huge huge hit, I have been requested to make it again. Thank you.

  • Avatar for Wendy Boustani Wendy Boustani says:

    5 stars
    This is so good!! We loved it. The recipe is simple, easy to follow, and a guaranteed hit.

  • Avatar for Hazel Hazel says:

    Made it tonight! It was so good, I didn’t miss the taste of meat at all.

  • Avatar for Carol Anne Castle Carol Anne Castle says:

    Can you make ahead and bake later.

  • Avatar for Sue Sue says:

    Going to make this tonight but going to add eggplant as well. Eating the next day always is the best. I’ll let you all know how it coms out.

  • Avatar for Genevieve kirk Genevieve kirk says:

    5 stars
    Wow! What a surprise. Thank u sooo much! I have never gotten a response before…..I will make this for sure.

  • Avatar for aas aas says:

    Hi I haven’t made this but I have a question. When you salt the zucchini and leave it for 10 minutes, do you just pat it dry and let the salt stay on the zucchini slices? Wouldn’t that make the dish overly salty?

    • You’ll only need to sprinkle a little salt over – and yes, by pressing the moisture out you absorb quite a bit of the salt. Results shouldn’t be salty 🙂

  • Avatar for Sarah Sarah says:

    5 stars
    This recipe for zucchini lasagne is so yummy…a few notes for the next time I make it is to be sure to use a mandolin to slice the zucchini because some of my slices were a little on thicker side and needed more than 40 minutes to bake. I also would be sure to remove as much moisture from the zucchini’s prior because they do release a lot of moisture into the dish while baking. I also used a blend of Parmesan cheese and mozzarella which worked really well! Definitely would make again! Makes a great side dish if you’re vegetarian based or for your next gathering!

    • Awww so glad you liked it! And agreed. The sizing of zucchini thickness matters to help moisture release properly. 🙂 Thanks so much for your feedback!

  • Avatar for Jamie Jamie says:

    5 stars
    This was so delicious!! Thank you!

    • Avatar for Cheal Cheal says:

      Zucchini Lasagna
      I just started cooking with Zucchini, this month. I love this receipe! It’s my “goto dish”, anytime! I have made it twice. Once with turkey meat and once without it. Both dishes were delicious! I do have pictures. How do I share them.
      But, I am still not sure how to season the Zucchini. So, thank you.

    • Avatar for Angela Angela says:

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner last night. It was really good. No water from zucchini which was great. A little time consuming but with practice it might go faster.

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