These low-carb Zucchini Lasagna Rolls contain three types of cheese, tomato sauce, and nutritious zucchini noodles. They’re so easy to make and packed with all the flavors of traditional lasagna.
We’re big fans of Italian food in my house, and lasagna is one of our favorite meals. I mean, what’s not to love? It’s cheesy, saucy, and always comforting.
But as much as we love lasagna, I’m always looking for ways to make healthier versions of our favorite comfort foods. That’s what inspired me to create this recipe zucchini lasagna roll ups.
This gluten-free dish may seem complicated, but it’s actually very easy to make! It’s a great recipe for families because kids can help make the rolls and they’re fun to eat.
Plus, you can easily customize the ingredients to fit your family’s preferences. I’ve made this recipe with meat sauce, extra veggies, and different seasonings, and it’s always a success.
If you don’t have time to make Zucchini Lasagna Rolls, try my Zucchini Lasagna or Eggplant Lasagna recipes instead! It has all the same flavors, but it’s assembled in layers rather than rolls. Both recipes are loaded with cheese and Italian flavors, so you can’t go wrong either way!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Zucchini — I prefer using small to medium-sized zucchini for lasagna rolls. They’re easier to slice and less watery than large zucchini.
- Cheeses — Ricotta, mozzarella, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Egg — To help bind our filling ingredients together.
- Tomato sauce — I’m using my homemade tomato sauce here made with San Marzano tomatoes,, but any crushed tomatoes or fresh sauce will do.
- Seasonings — Salt and black pepper to taste. You can also add some dried oregano and minced garlic to the ricotta mixture. For added depth of flavor, include some red pepper flakes too. It’s going to be so good.
- Fresh herbs — Fresh parsley for the cheesy filling and basil for garnish.
Instructions To Make Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
Prep the zucchini and filling:
- But before we get started, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Slice your zucchini into even strips and lay them on a clean towel to absorb excess moisture. We’ll also pat the tops dry before assembling the rolls.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, parsley, egg, parmesan, salt, and pepper.
- Then, spread half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of your baking dish.
Assemble the lasagna rolls:
- On each zucchini strip, spread about 3 tablespoons of the filling before topping it with mozzarella cheese.
- Then, carefully roll up each strip and arrange the zucchini roll ups in your casserole dish.
Add sauce and cheese:
- Spread the rest of the tomato sauce over and top with the remaining Mozzarella cheese.
Bake and serve:
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until it’s golden and bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh basil before serving, and enjoy it with a delicious arugula salad on the side!
Olivia’s Recipe Tips
- I highly recommend using a mandolin slicer to make the zucchini noodles. This will help you cut thin, even strips, which prevents the lasagna from getting too watery.
- Be careful not to overfill the zucchini strips, or they’ll be tricky to roll.
- I like to let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This will help everything set, so the zucchini rolls don’t fall apart when you pick them up.
How To Store Leftovers
To Store: Cover your baking dish tightly or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
Note that the zucchini will release moisture the longer you store it. I usually just pat the excess water away with a paper towel before reheating.
To Freeze: Once cooled, place the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that the texture may change once thawed because of the water content in the zucchini.
To Reheat: I usually pop the leftovers in the microwave. You can also reheat this recipe in the oven until they’re completely warmed through.
Recipe Variations
Add protein: This is a vegetarian recipe, but it works great if you want to add protein to it. My homemade meat sauce is a very easy swap! You could also add shredded chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
More veggies: Feel free to load this recipe up with fresh vegetables! Chopped kale, mushrooms, or sun-dried tomatoes would all be great additions.
Lasagna noodles: If you don’t need this recipe to be low-carb, try my lasagna roll-ups recipe made with regular lasagna noodles. It’s just as easy and SO tasty!
Frequently Asked Questions
My favorite method for making the perfect zucchini strips is using a mandolin slicer. It’s hands-down the fastest way to slice zucchini, and you get perfectly even strips, which is important for this recipe.
If you don’t have a mandolin slicer, I recommend using a vegetable peeler. It’s much easier to get thin strips this way rather than using a knife.
Zucchini skin is soft, thin, and totally edible, so there’s no need to peel it.
Slicing your zucchini strips nice and thin will help a lot, as thinner slices mean less water in each one. It’s also important to lay the zucchini strips on a towel for about 10 minutes to remove excess moisture (don’t forget to pat the tops dry, too!). You can salt the zucchini to draw out excess water, but I don’t find that it’s necessary with such thin strips.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out the full collection of dinner recipes here at Primavera Kitchen, including my favorite low-carb comfort foods like this one!
Zucchini Lasagna Rolls Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini sliced 1/8" thick
- 15 oz ricotta
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and black pepper
- 16 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup homemade tomato sauce
- Fresh basil leaves as garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Lay your zucchini strips in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel or several sheets of paper towels. Allow them to sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, so they can release any excess moisture. Before assembling your roll-ups, pat the tops of the strips dry.
- In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, parsley, egg, parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Stir well.
- Spread half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Spread about 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture over each individual zucchini slice. Then, sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top before rolling up each zucchini slice.
- Carefully roll up the zucchini slices and place them in the baking dish.
- After that, spread the remaining tomato sauce on top and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese evenly over the baking dish.
- Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until bubbly brown. Garnish with basil before serving.
Tips
- Use smaller zucchinis as large zucchinis tend to be watery.
- Shredding cheese from a block will yield a smoother melty cheese than pre-shredded cheese.
- Feel free to add more cheese on top if you want cheesier lasagna roll-ups.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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Heather says
This recipe is awesome!! I omitted the ricotta and spread the slices with sauce instead. I also added ground chicken (eating healthier), came out so good. As another review read, there like little bites of heaven. Thanx again and I will be using more of your recipes 😊
Olivia Ribas says
Amazing! Your comment made me so happy 😉
Msmoo says
Made this tonight for a low carb dish, very tasty. Ours came out a little watery, next time I will simmer the tomatoes without being covered, to thicken up a little more.
Olivia Ribas says
That’s a good idea. Happy to know you liked this recipe!
Cindy says
I made this for the first time and invited my extended family for dinner to try it out. Rave reviews. I broiled the Z first, then made the roll ups (added Italian Seasoning to the Ricotta mix), rolled them up and put them in a 9×13 pan overnight. Then about 3 hours before baking, I drained the excess water from the pan (put a cookie sheet over the pan and carefully drained the excess water), then rearranged the Z roll ups that were askew, added the spaghetti sauce ((I used one jar of low sodium spaghetti sauce and 1 can of diced tomatoes and added some Italian seasonings and garlic), added cheeses,and baked 30 minutes covered, 25 minutes uncovered. Served with Caesar salad and red wine. Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again!
Olivia Ribas says
That’s absolutely AMAZING, Cindy. Your review just put a smile on my face. Thanks a lot.