This zucchini lasagna is vegetarian, low-carb, keto friendly and gluten free. It is made with tomato sauce, skinny ricotta, mozzarella, and zucchini noodles.
I love cooking with zucchini and if you’re looking for more zucchini recipes try these ones too: Zucchini Lasagna Roll Recipe, Slow Cooker Zucchini Lasagna, and these 10 Low-Carb Zucchini Dinner Recipes! They’re super easy to cook with and tastes amazing.
This Zucchini Lasagna recipe has become one of the most popular recipes on my site over the years. I first published this Zucchini Lasagna four years ago, and since then, my readers have baked it and given great reviews.
I still make it often since my husband loves this keto Zucchini Lasagna recipe. This recipe is great because instead of using traditional noodles or pasta, you use zucchini noodles, which make this recipe low-carb and gluten-free yet very flavourful.
This recipe is so good and I am sure everybody in your home will love this vegetarian and gluten-free lasagna.
Ingredients to Make Zucchini Lasagna
- Extra virgin olive oil: or neutral oil of your choice such as avocado oil.
- Onion: finely chopped, you can use whatever onion you’d like.
- Garlic cloves: the more the merrier.
- Tomato paste: a little bit of tomato paste goes a long way.
- Crushed tomatoes: use canned tomato with the juice or 1¾ pounds of fresh tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced.
- Salt and ground fresh black pepper: to taste.
- Fresh basil: I love fresh basil for lasagna.
- Spinach: three cups may seem like a lot but they really shrink down when cooked.
- Cheese: I use both part-skim ricotta, parmesan cheese, and part-skin mozzarella cheese (shredded mozzarella cheese). Feel free to change things up.
- Egg: this helps bind it all together.
- Zucchini: I like using small to medium-sized zucchini as large ones are more watery.
- Parsley: as a garnish.
- Optional: add some sautéed mushrooms
How to Make The Perfect Zucchini Lasagna
I’ve created this step-by-step photo tutorial to help you make the best Zucchini Lasagna you can. I’m sure you and your entire family will love it, and it’ll become one of your family’s favourite meals!
Let’s assemble the lasagna:
- First, spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Then, spread about 1 cup of the spinach-tomato sauce on the bottom of your casserole or baking dish.
2. Add a second layer of about 6 or 7 zucchini strips over the tomato sauce or marinara sauce. The amount of zucchini slices you need depends on the size of the zucchini.
3. After that, place about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture over the zucchini slices.
4. Top the ricotta mixture with mozzarella cheese. Use as much or as little mozzarella cheese as you wish.
5. Then, add another layer of zucchini noodles and tomato sauce. Repeat the layers until all your ingredients are used.
6. Top with more mozzarella cheese to add more flavour to this Zucchini Lasagna recipe. Then, add 1/2 cup parmesan on top.
7. Finally, cover the casserole with aluminum foil, and bake the Zucchini Lasagna for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish, and cook for 10-15 more minutes. If you want to make this lasagna ahead of time, just place the unbaked lasagna in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
After you bake it, remove it from the oven, and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve. Delicious!
How To Make Zucchini Noodles
As you see, instead of lasagna noodles, I use zucchini noodles. So, how do you make perfect zucchini noddles?
Well basically, you can make them using a sharp knife, a mandolin slicer, or a vegetable peeler. I’ve made this Zucchini Lasagna many times and have made the zucchini noddles using all three tools. But, my favourite kitchen tool for making zucchini noodles is the mandolin slicer. Let me explain why.
First, it’s the fastest way to slice zucchini. Slicing the zucchini is a perfect way to save time in the kitchen. Also, it creates exceptionally even slices, which is very important to bake the entire lasagna evenly.
If you have thick and thin zucchini noodles, your lasagna may not cook evenly (some parts will be cooked and other parts won’t). It is easy and fast to clean, but of course, you have to be very careful since the blades are very sharp. I love to wear my cut-resistant gloves when I use my mandolin because it provides more protection.
Recipe Tips
- If you do not need for this to be vegetarian, you can try using my homemade Instant Pot meat sauce instead of tomato sauce.
- Feel free to add other vegetables to this such as carrots or bell peppers.
- If you’d like to make this ahead of time, you can follow all of the instructions but instead of baking it, wrap it up tightly to store in the fridge for up to a day ahead of time.
- The reason we let the zucchini lasagna rest for 10 minutes is so the lasagna can set. This way, when you cut into it, the lasagna does not fall apart before getting on your plate!
- Zucchini lasagna can be watery because zucchini has high water content. To avoid this, salt the slices and let them drain before cooking, and don’t use too much sauce.
- When you make the ricotta mixture don’t forget to mix all well to smooth the texture of this mixture.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
To Store: Once the zucchini lasagna has slightly cooled, transfer it to an airtight storage container. It can last for 3-5 days in the fridge. Once the lasagna has slightly cooled, place it in a storage container.
To Freeze: To freeze, you can freeze the entire lasagna once it’s been baked! Simply wrap it up tightly. It can last a couple months in the freezer.
More zucchini recipes to try:
- Zucchini Lasagna Skillet: It’s a cheesy and saucy recipe that’s also a one-pan meal. It has a delicious sautéed mushroom filling, which takes this gluten-free lasagna to a new level of flavour.
- 5-Ingredient Chicken Zucchini Boats: These low-carb, gluten-free, 5-Ingredient Chicken Zucchini Boats are stuffed with chicken, homemade tomato sauce, and mozzarella/cheddar cheese.
- Chicken Zucchini Enchilada: This recipe is made with “zucchini tortillas” and is loaded with enchilada sauce, chicken, and cheese. It’s also gluten-free and very flavourful!
- Sweet Potato Zucchini Casserole recipe: This casserole will be on your table in less than 30 minutes and is a one-pan meal loaded with protein, vitamins, and nutrients.
Want another lasagna recipe? You should try my Vegetable Lasagna Roll-ups or my Eggplant Lasagna recipes!! They’re packed with veggies and is easy to make!
Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
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Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with the juice or 1¾ pounds of fresh tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced
- Salt and ground fresh black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
- 3 cups spinach
- 15 ounces part-skim ricotta
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 medium zucchini sliced ⅛-inch thick
- 16 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ teaspoon parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook 4-5 minutes until they are soft and golden. Add the garlic, and sauté, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the tomato paste and stir well.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, including the juice in case you are using canned tomatoes. Add salt and ground fresh black pepper. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes.
- Finally, remove from the heat, and add the fresh basil and spinach. Stir well. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking oil spray. Broil for 5-8 minutes. Remove from the oven. Wait about 5 minutes to remove any excess moisture with paper towels if necessary. (This part is very important to avoid the lasagna becoming too soupy.)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg. Stir well.
- In a 9×13 casserole, spread some tomato-spinach sauce on the bottom. Layer 5 or 6 zucchini slices to cover. Place some of the ricotta cheese mixture on the zucchini slices, and top with some mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers until all your ingredients are used.
- Top with sauce and mozzarella.
- Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and cook an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley.
Tips
- This recipe was adapted from the site Skinny Taste.
- The amount of zucchinis you need will depend on the size of them. While larger ones are great, they are a bit more watery compared to smaller zucchinis.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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Debra Darvick says
Made this twice and loved it.
Can I prep the lasagna earlier in the morning and then
bake it for dinner? (putting it in the fridge of course
in the interim.)
Olivia Ribas says
I believe so, but I can’t say for sure because I always make and then bake it soon. I don’t leave it in the fridge.
Nikki says
This turned out great and so flavorful the first time I decided to make it again. Do let it “rest” or it will be soupy if you cut it right out of the oven.
Do you know the fiber in this? 10 carbs per serving is high if that’s NET carbs per piece!
Olivia Ribas says
Thanks. 10 carbs it’s because of the tomato sauce that I used that has a little bit of sugar. You can use one that is sugar free 😉
Barb says
This was a delicious recipe. Followed it closely, except I used dried basil and just used the crushed tomatoes and no tomato paste. It was GREAT and I definitely will make and pass on to my family and friends. Thanks!
Olivia Ribas says
Awesome. Happy to hear that 😉
Julia Frost-Davies says
One of my favorite recipes EVER. I do add mushrooms and swirl some butter, and sometimes a splash of red wine, into the sauce. It does take at least a couple of hours to make, so for me it’s a weekend project, but this freezes beautifully in individual slices and is my go-to meal reheated on weeknights. Such an amazing meal!!!
Olivia Ribas says
Thank you so much for this great review 😉
lynniw says
can this be frozen?
Olivia Ribas says
Yes it can!
Lindsay says
Do you have to pre cook the spinach, or does it cook when you put it into the sauce mixture?
Olivia Ribas says
It cookes when you put it into the sauce mixture.
BarbAnn says
Wow, just tried this recipe. I added oregano as well as the basil and half the mozzarella. My husband and I Loved it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Olivia Ribas says
So awesome! Happy to hear that. Thanks for stopping by and for your feedback 😉
Rebecca says
My family really enjoyed this! I did a few things differently than stated:
– rather than broil the zucchini slices, I salted them, put them in a colander, and let them sit for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse and pat dry. This removes a lot of moisture without the fuss of the oven and multiple pans of slices.
– I chopped my spinach a bit before stirring it in.
– I saved out some mozzarella and put it on top after I removed the covering. My pan was very full and I was afraid the foil would pull a lot of the mozzarella off the top.
– If your pan is really full like mine was, place the pan in the oven on a rimmed cookie sheet in case it bubbles over.
– I didn’t do this, but I’ll bet the addition of some cooked crumbled sausage in the layers would be good.
Olivia Ribas says
Thanks for all the tips! Our community appreciate it a lot! Glad to know you and your family enjoyed this recipe 😉
Cathy Deeley says
I followed the recipe exactly. ( Except I user another homemade sause that I have been making for years.)
Zucchini made it very watery although I cooked the zucchini in the broiler longer, used paper towels, and spooned out the water before, and during, cooking. I also cook the entire thing longer.
I also found the amount of mozzarella cheese made it too rich.
We tried to eat it but ultimately had to throw it in the trash.
So disappointing.
Olivia Ribas says
I’m so sorry to hear that. I really don’t know why that happened because I’ve been making this lasagna for years now and it’s always so good. Maybe it was the thickness of the zucchini slices? Not sure, but it could be. Also, you can adjust the amount of mozzarella according to your taste. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your feedback.
Mary Ryan says
It would be helpful to list the weight instead of the size of Zucchini. Size is in the eye of the beholder!