Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
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This Zucchini Lasagna Rolls recipe first appeared on Savory Experiments where I am a contributor.
These easy Zucchini Lasagna Rolls are insanely delicious and perfect for weeknight meals or entertaining. It’s comfort food without the carbs!
Love low carb recipes? Check out this Weeknight Skillet Chicken and these Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats next!
If you’re looking for more lasagna recipes, you’ll want to try these Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats and this Vegan Lasagna.
Tonight, we are going to manga bene (eat good)!
This vegetarian lasagna is here to please. It’s easy to make, packed with flavor, nutritious, and hearty! You won’t even miss the meat.
I love this lasagna recipe because it’s perfect for any time of year. When you are craving Italian in the summer, this is the perfect recipe for all those fresh veggies. Looking for comfort food in the winter? It’s got you covered!
BONUS: since we aren’t using pasta, this recipe is low-carb!
Best Zucchini Lasagna Rolls Recipe
Forget pasta! In just under an hour you can make an incredibly delicious (and hearty) lasagna!
This dish is perfect on its own if you aren’t looking to prepare a feast. However, if you are like me…I love a good side dish…this vegetable lasagna pairs perfectly with:
Zucchini Lasagna Ingredients
Vegetables: grab everything from your garden (or fridge), we are going to need zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach.
Dairy: I whole heartedly believe one of the best parts of lasagna is the layers of cheese! To make those layers in this recipe you will need to use full fat ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
Wet ingredients: I used white cooking wine, however you can use a dry white wine if that is what you have handy, marinara sauce, and an egg.
Spices: to pull those Italian flavors we all know and love, you will need onion, garlic, fresh basil, and some salt and pepper to taste.
How to make Zucchini Lasagna Rolls?
1. Prep your oven. Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
2. Slice the zucchini. Slice zucchini 1/8″ thick on a mandoline or using a sharp knife. Lay sliced zucchini on a cutting board that is covered with a kitchen towel or paper towels.
Sprinkle each slice with a pinch of salt. Let sit for 15 minutes or until the zucchini starts to sweat, where water is drawn to the surface. Pat each zucchini slice off.
3. Make the filling. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a 12” cast iron skillet (you’ll use this pan later to bake the lasagna rolls). Sauté the mushrooms, onions, and garlic together for 4-5 minutes, or until mushrooms and onions have softened and browned.
Pour in the cooking wine, stir, scraping brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool almost completely. I transferred the mushrooms and onions to a mixing bowl and placed them in the refrigerator to cool quickly.
4. Combine the filling. In a medium sized mixing bowl, use a fork to combine the mushroom mixture with the ricotta cheese, egg, spinach, salt, and pepper. Then stir in the fresh chopped basil, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
5. Begin assembly. Spread about ½ cup marinara sauce in a 12” cast iron skillet. Then begin assembling the zucchini rolls by spreading about a tablespoon of filling on each piece of zucchini.
Roll tightly. Place each roll on top of marinara sauce in baking dish so it’s standing upwards. Repeat with the rest of zucchini. If you have extra filling, spread on top of zucchini rolls.
Pour the rest of marinara sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
6. Bake. Place skillet in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese begins to brown. Top with more fresh basil if desired and divide the zucchini rolls between plates to serve!
Questions you may have
The best way to cut zucchini for lasagna is to use a mandoline. This is mine! However, if you don’t have one, it is not the end of the world…or this recipe, you can use a vegetable grater or knife.
Great lasagna has a pretty sturdy structure for it being food. So, the last thing you want is runny or watery lasagna making it impossible to cut and serve. Below are a few tips I’ve learned over the years:
1. Do NOT add extra water to your recipe or to your sauce. Marinara sauce is meant to be thick.
2. Do NOT slice your zucchini any less than 1/8 inch.
3. Zucchini is a watery vegetable, so you want to make sure you salt it
4. Salting your zucchini will soak up some moisture (make sure to let it sit for a few minutes).
5. After salting and before cooking blot your zucchini with a paper towel, this will pull up any additional moisture.
Yes! If you back your lasagna uncovered, it will dry out in the baking process. You don’t want it watery, but you also don’t want it bone dry.
The key is to cover the lasagna with foil and halfway through baking it, remove the foil and let it finish cooking open faced.
Always start with a thin layer of sauce at the bottom of the pan! This will prevent the it from sticking to the bottom. Once you have done that, layer as follows:
1. Zucchini noodle or pasta
2. Cheese
3. Meat
4. Sauce
5. Repeat for 3 more layers or as many layers fit in the dish.
6. Top with cheese
If you are looking to channel true Italians, a friend of mine once told me when she is done making lasagna with her mom or Nonna (grandma in Italian), they take the extra lasagna noodles and dip them in the extra sauce and enjoy!
However, if you are looking to utilize your extra ingredients for a recipe you can make:
1. Lasagna Roll-ups
2. Lasagna Cups
3. Lasagna Soup
Ricotta cheese is perfect for lasagna because it does not melt like other cheeses which is why it is preferred for lasagna.
To keep ricotta at its “best” for this recipe, drain the excess water (this will also keep your lasagna from becoming watery) and if you are going to add anything to your ricotta like spinach, mix it together really well before adding it to your lasagna.
To drain excess water from the ricotta, place it in a strainer. Cover the ricotta with plastic wrap and place a heavy object, like a small plate, on top of the cheese. Place the strainer and bowl in the refrigerator and let stand 8 hours up to overnight.
More Dinner Recipes You Might Like
Side Dishes To Serve With Zucchini Lasagna
- Crispy Roasted Mini Potatoes
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Israeli Couscous Recipe
- Easy Roasted Broccolini
- Whipped Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
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Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
Ingredients
- 3-4 large zucchini
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped into 1'' pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 tablespoons white cooking wine
- 1.5 cups full fat ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, plus more for serving
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Slice zucchini 1/8" thick on a mandoline or using a sharp knife. Lay sliced zucchini on a cutting board that is covered with a kitchen towel or paper towels. Sprinkle each slice with a pinch of salt. Let sit for 15 minutes or until the zucchini starts to sweat, where water is drawn to the surface. Pat each zucchini slice off.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a 12'' cast iron skillet (you'll use this pan later to bake the lasagna rolls). Sauté the mushrooms, onions, and garlic together for 4-5 minutes, or until mushrooms and onions have softened and browned. Pour in the cooking wine, stir, scraping brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool almost completely. I transferred the mushrooms and onions to a mixing bowl and placed them in the refrigerator to cool quickly.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, use a fork to combine the mushroom mixture with the ricotta cheese, egg, spinach, salt, and pepper. Then stir in the fresh chopped basil, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
- Spread about ½ cup marinara sauce in a 12'' cast iron skillet. Then begin assembling the zucchini rolls by spreading about a tablespoon of filling on each piece of zucchini. Roll tightly. Place each roll on top of marinara sauce in a baking dish so it's standing upwards. Repeat with the rest of zucchini. If you have extra filling, spread on top of zucchini rolls. Pour the rest of marinara sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
- Place skillet in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese begins to brown. Top with more fresh basil if desired and divide the zucchini rolls between plates to serve!
