Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups
Summer, please don’t go.
While I am getting just a little bit excited for crisp fall air, apple picking and Halloween (my favorite holiday. Ever), I’m also not ready to say goodbye to an endless supply of warm berries, juicy tomatoes and zucchini everything. I’m sure I’ll tell you that fall produce is my favorite sometime around October, but know that I’ll be lying.
Summer is the best.
That’s why I’m sending you another zucchini recipe. Another opportunity to head to the market and grab squash as big as your forearm. Then, come home and make pasta.
Pasta is a loose term to me in the summer. While I don’t shy away from pasta (I wrote an entire cookbook dedicated to my love of Italian cuisine), trust me when I say that you won’t miss the noodles in these low-carb zucchini roll-ups. Thin layers of zucchini are covered with a cheesy ricotta filling, then tucked into marinara sauce and baked with mozzarella cheese. It’s noodle-free lasagna with minimal effort.
Think of these as the vegetarian version to my vegan zucchini lasagna. For the times when you want sauce and cheese but also a kinda-light dinner, these are for you.
To get the zucchini thin enough to roll up, you’ll need to use either a mandolin, sharp knife or a vegetable sheet slicer. I recently purchased this one to make zucchini lasagna all summer, but you don’t have to have a special piece of equipment for this recipe. Though- if you plan on making lots of vegetable lasagna dishes, then you might consider it.
To cut the zucchini using a knife, trim the ends and peel. Hold the zucchini lengthwise, slicing into 1/8th inch strips, moving around the zucchini and you go. Discard the center, and repeat with the remaining zucchini.
Since zucchini holds a lot of water, you’ll want to remove some of it so your roll-ups don’t turn into a soupy mess. I line a plate with paper towels, then place the zucchini on top and sprinkle with salt.
The salt draws the water out of the cells, allowing you to easily pat it away before rolling. Let the zucchini sit for at least 10-15; you can use the time to make the ricotta filling and prep the baking dish.
Run, don’t walk to make these roll-ups! Perfect ending to summertime perfection.
Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- pinch grated nutmeg
- ½ cup chopped basil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 large zucchini, peeled and sliced very thin
- 2 ½ cups marinara sauce of choice, (try my simple fresh tomato sauce or Sunday red sauce)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Very thinly slice the zucchini into strips. You can do this using a mandolin, a vegetable sheet slicer or a sharp knife. The strips should be no longer than ~6-8 inches long; cut them if needed.
- Lay strips on a paper or kitchen towel and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes until the zucchini starts to “sweat,” where water will be drawn to the surface. Pat the zucchini dry and set aside.
- Whisk together the ricotta cheese, egg, nutmeg, basil, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish. Spread a thin layer of the ricotta mixture on the zucchini, then roll up.
- Place the zucchini seam-side down in the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining zucchini. Cover with the remaining marinara sauce and cover with cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes until zucchini is soft and cheese is melted and lightly browned.