Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups are a lower-carb alternative to traditional lasagna, yet still sinfully delicious, with loads of melty cheese and plenty of fresh herbs. Perfect for zucchini season!
This recipe was originally published in 2021. It was updated in 2022 to add new information. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
When it’s that time of year when zucchini are growing like crazy, what do you do?
Make Vegetarian Lasagna Rolls!
Aka the “Anti-Food-Coma Lasagna” or the “Prettiest Guilt-Free Lasagna You’ll Ever Eat” or even the “One Dish You Need in Order to Impress at a Dinner Party.”
I love that these are a healthier alternative to regular lasagna. And, similar to my Mushroom Parmesan and Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan, it’s a great recipe if you’re trying to get more veggies into your diet.
🛒 Ingredients Needed
- Zucchini – I used four medium zucchini for this recipe
- Tomato Sauce – Jarred or homemade marinara sauce
- Creamy Ricotta Cheese – If you’re not a fan of ricotta, you can use cottage cheese
- Spinach
- Fresh Basil & Parsley
- Red Pepper Flakes – Optional
- Egg
- Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese
📋 How to Make Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
I thinly sliced my zucchinis using the thinnest setting of a mandolin slicer. However, if you don’t own one, you can use a vegetable peeler to make zucchini slices instead.
Once your zucchini are sliced, the assembly process is easy. I like to lay two slices of zucchini side by side lengthwise. Then, place a scoop of the ricotta mixture in the middle (a cookie scoop works great for this) and roll up.
Place rolls in your casserole dish, starting around the edges of the dish and putting the seam of the zucchini roll against the edge of the dish to keep them from unravelling. Keep filling the baking dish with the rolls until it is full.
Then, take a step back and admire the gorgeousness that you just created.
Then, cover up all that hard work with a layer of cheese. I promise your pretty zucchini roll ups will reappear once the cheese has melted…
This dish is perfect for a dinner party full of eaters with various dietary preferences. It would be suitable for: vegetarians, kids, wine lovers… I like the last group the best. Wine lovers are always welcome at my dinner parties. Speaking of…
The bottle I’ll be opening at said dinner party is this Pinot Noir.
This Pinot Noir is hearty and fruit-forward. And, its earthy aromas and bright acidity was a nice balance to the rich cheese and fresh herbs in this dish.
However, if you’re in the mood for a bottle of white wine… I would go with a bottle of Pinot Gris. With a beautiful, balanced acidity, it can stand up to the richness of this dish.
🍷 Wine Pairings for Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
- Pinot Noir
- Sangiovese
- Chianti
- Pinot Gris
🌟 Variations
- As written, this dish is vegetarian. However, if you’d like to make it a bit more hearty, you could add in a pound of browned ground meat, like Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground beef. Or, try adding in some shredded chicken.
- Not a fan of ricotta? Cottage cheese makes a great swap.
- Pesto. After cooking, top your zucchini rolls with dollops of pesto to add a bright, vibrant flavor.
🕕 How to Store & Reheat
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. Reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
ℹ️ FAQ
I thinly sliced my zucchinis using the thinnest setting of a mandolin slicer. However, if you don’t own one, you can use a vegetable peeler to make zucchini slices instead. Or, you can carefully use a long knife to make the slices.
To ensure your zucchini lasagna isn’t watery, use this tip. Lay the zucchini slices flat on a paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let sit at least 15 minutes to allow the moisture to escape. Then pat dry.
Yes, you can assemble the zucchini roll ups up to two days ahead of time. When ready to serve, simply bake according to the recipe card below.
Did you try these Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups?
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🍽 What to Serve with Them
✔️ More Lasagna Recipes
- One Pot Lasagna Soup
- Classic Lasagna with Bechamel
- Tortellini Skillet Lasagna
- Lasagna Crostini
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
🥒 More Zucchini Recipes
- Sriracha Glazed Salmon with Zucchini Noodles
- Zucchini Bread
- Sauteed Zucchini & Squash
- Zucchini Pizza Boats
- Zucchini Noodles, Herbs & Fried Capers
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- Spaghetti Alla Nerano (Spaghetti with Zucchini)
- More → 37+ BEST Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 24 ounce jar tomato sauce (or marinara sauce )
- 32 ounces part-skim ricotta
- 2 cups finely chopped spinach
- 3 Tablespoons chopped basil
- 1 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 4 medium zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Thinly slice the zucchini using either a mandoline or vegetable peeler. Lay the slices flat on a paper towel lined counter and sprinkle with salt. Let sit at least 15 minutes to allow the moisture to escape. Then pat dry.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, egg, parmesan and half of the mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper.
- Coat the bottom of a 9×13 or similar sized baking dish with ¾ of the tomato sauce.
- Arrange two zucchini ribbons side by side lengthwise. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling onto the center of the zucchini (I like to use a cookie scoop). Roll up and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining zucchini. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over top of the zucchini and then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes.
We’ll be getting lots of zucchini from our CSA soon! Now I know what I am doing with it! This looks wonderful and I’m always looking for new vegetarian dishes to try!
Ooohhh – I’m so jealous of your CSA delivery. I’ve been thinking about signing up for one, but I’m never quite sure how well I’ll do with it. I struggle to eat/make enough veggies.
Love this. I go grain-free when possible, and am always looking for new ways to cook with zucchini! Thanks for sharing which mandoline setting worked best for this, too, and taking the guesswork out of it for us!
Of course Marlynn. Glad I can help!
I have an underused mandoline so I plan to keep this recipe handy as our friends’ gardens begun to overflow with zucchini! I love your suggested wine pairs as well.
Thank you Michele – My mandoline is always neglected too! Cheers!
Oh, yum! I seriously need this recipe in my life. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Theresa – I hope you enjoy!
Oh my gosh those look amazing!!! We have an obnoxious amount of zucchini popping up in our backyard and we recently discovered our kids think they don’t like it!!! The horror! However, if I disguise the zucchini in “pizza” or “lasagna” flavors they’re totally in. I seriously think I might even make this for dinner tonight. I’ll keep you updated!
Omgggg this looks wayy too amazing and such a genius idea too!
Making this again tonight – it is delicious! Even the picky kids likes it! And I love how quick and easy it is – with things I have on hand! Thanks for a great, easy recipe!
You’re welcome Hannah! Thanks for stopping by!
This recipe looks cool. I will definable going to cook it. Hope I will be able to make rolls just like it appears in the image.
Regards,
This looks so good – can’t wait to try it!
One question though, it looks like cherry tomatoes in the picture, yet none mentioned in the recipe. Are some included? If so, approximately how many do you use?
I have plenty of those, along with zucchini in my garden…
Hi Tricia – I sprinkled on a handful of halved cherry tomatoes since I had some on hand, and I thought they would look pretty in the dish. So, feel free to add some to the top of your dish! You’re lucky to have them in your garden! I, unfortunately, do not have a green thumb 🙁