Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
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Swap out the lasagna noodles for zucchini. It’s LOW CARB & so much healthier! You won’t miss the noodles at all!
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Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So when I made this for dinner one night, Ben said, “Oh, wow. This doesn’t suck.” I didn’t know what to make of that reaction. Then, about 3 minutes and 22 seconds later, he said, “Babe, I don’t know where this ranks in the things you’ve made but this definitely makes top 5.”
So that should basically summarize what this meal is all about.
We swap out the lasagna noodles for zucchini and roll them up in everything that is good in life – crumbled sausage, ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, which is then baked in a pool of marinara sauce.
With everything that’s happening here, you won’t even miss the lasagna noodles. I promise. Plus, it’s low-carb, it makes enough to feed an army, and it is DUDE-friendly.
tips and tricks for success
- Salt the zucchini. Because zucchini has a high water content (94% water), salting the zucchini beforehand will help draw out the excess water, making it firmer and avoiding mushy, limp zucchini.
- Use your favorite meat. Italian sausage, ground beef, chicken or turkey will all work well here.
- Make ahead of time. Lasagna is a great dish to make ahead of time. Prep and assemble overnight, covered with aluminum foil and stored in the fridge.
- Freeze before baking. This will preserve the texture and prevent sogginess. Always use a freezer-safe baking dish, label, date and freeze up to 2 months.
what to serve with zucchini lasagna roll ups
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups: Frequently Asked Questions
Zucchini can vary so much in size but 3 large zucchini should be about 2 pounds.
Zucchini is very high in water and the salt will help draw out excess water.
Ground beef, chicken or turkey can be used instead of Italian sausage.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
You can use your favorite kind of marinara sauce but we personally love Rao’s.
You can assemble ahead of time and store in the refrigerator, up to 24 hours in advance, baking right before serving.
Yes! Let cool completely; cover the roll ups tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 2 months. For the best results, we recommend assembling, freezing then baking to help prevent any sogginess. But if you’ve already baked your roll ups, no worries at all – it can still be frozen!
Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 24 ⅛-inch-thick strips
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ pound Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce, divided
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Lay zucchini slices flat in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt, to taste; let stand 15 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- In a medium bowl, combine sausage, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, basil and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spread 1 cup marinara sauce sauce onto the bottom of a large cast iron skillet over; set aside.
- Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture evenly along each zucchini slice; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese. Roll up and place in the prepared skillet; repeat with remaining zucchini slices and filling. Top with remaining 1/2 cup marinara sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
- Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown.
- Serve immediately.
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Delicious dish and easy to make.
Note: 4 lbs of zucchini is a ridiculous amount, 1 or 2 zucchini are enough. You can use ground beef in lieu of sausage.
This is so good! Make it often!!
I’ve made this a few times but it always ends up watery. And when I put the rolls in the sauce, a lot of the ricotta eventually oozes out before baking it. I made it ahead today and it did it. Should I roll them up and put in the fridge and then put into the sauce right before baking? I love zucchini rolls but this has been frustrating. Mine have never looked like yours after baking and I follow the recipe exactly (and cook a lot). Thank you so much!
This was delicious! Definitely needed the full 15 ounce container of ricotta for all zucchini and grated the garlic. Also used 2 links of sausage.
Well I must say Ben was right. It doesn’t suck, its fabulous! My family gobbled it up so fast. It wasn’t as pretty as yours, I need a mandolin to make sure the zucchini is 1/8 in thick. Any bigger and it doesn’t want to roll at all. It took a little time, but boy was it worth the effort. I had all this zucchini from my garden and was wondering what in the world am I doing with all of this when I got the email from your site. Absolutely wonderful and worth it. I love your recipes, always a big hit! Thank you!
Can this recipe be assembled then frozen, to be baked later? Also, can it go in a baking pan instead of a skillet?
Will this feed six people? Looks delicious!!!
This recipe is bookmarked on my computer, a family favorite (even with my two year old). This is officially on the dinner rotation
THIS HAS BECOME ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE MEALS! MY HUSBAND IS DIABETIC. COMPANY ALWAYS RAVES ABOUT IT. I DO NOT PUT THE SAUGAGE INTO THE ROLL UPS. I PUT 2 OR 3 SAUSAGES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAN AND COOK THEM IN THE MARINARA SAUCE AT THE SAME TIME.
I have 2 guests that are gluten free. I made these using one zucchini sliced to 1/8″ using my mandolin and my leftover lasagna filling with spinach, ricotta, goat cheese, romano, and mozzarella. These little roll ups were a huge hit! Made eight little rolls.
Could replace zucchini with eggplant.
Made this last night, wife thought it was restaurant quality. Easy to make, added some parsley and basil before serving. Another great recipe!!!!! Do not skip salting the zucchini, I did this an hour before putting it into the oven to get as much water out of the zucchini.
I’m excited to make this dish. It looks amazing. But, I’ve re-read the directions and the comments, and I want to know if I am supposed to use 1/4 teaspoon salt per each slice of zucchini, on both sides. That seems like a lot of salt for 24 strips of zucchini. Am I supposed to wipe the salt off before rolling? I don’t want the dish to be too salty. Thanks!
Use plenty of salt. Let it sit for an hour or more on towel paper. The salt will pull the water out of the zucchini and the paper towels will absorb the water. After an hour or so, rinse well in a colander and allow to drain.
Now you are all set to make the wraps.
These were Fantastic! Does anyone know the calorie count ?
There is a restaurant near us that makes this with eggplant and no meat. One of my favorites.
I am definetly going to try this recipe.
All of your recipes that I have made are so yummy and easy to make!
Recipe looks great! Would this be suitable for a appetizer?? or would it be too messy?
Beautiful. It’s lower carb, but also so pretty when prepared like this!
Do you know the macros per roll up?
I’m not kidding this is like…. Next level good. We kept our expectations low so as not to be brutally disappointed. We were not. This is STELLAR. Like I think about it. It’s that good. 10/10. Doesn’t feel like a substitute meal, feels like a treat!
Delicious! No surprise-great ingredients and simple directions_Mine did not look as pretty as yours-so good!!!! I cooked it longer-60minutes total until the ricotta was firm. A new go to recipe, Thank you:)