Skip out on the noodles and make low-carb, keto-friendly Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups instead. Best described as a guilt-free version of lasagna, this dish is super easy to make and calls for simple, wholesome ingredients.
Forgoing the noodles means dinner is on the table in a fraction of the time that a traditional lasagna would take. This is the perfect recipe to make when you need to satisfy your craving for Italian without affecting your waistline.
Tips for making Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups
- Slice your zucchini as thin as possible. You want the slices to be malleable so you can roll them up easily. Consider using a mandolin slicer to get those long, thin strips.
- Don’t skimp on the quality of your cheese. High-quality cheeses have much more flavor. Grate your parmesan and mozzarella fresh! Pre-shredded varieties tend to be dryer and less tasty.
- Try your hand at making homemade marinara sauce. This recipe is made in under 15 minutes!
- Place the loose end of a zucchini roll securely against another zucchini roll. This will help them keep their cute shape when baking in the oven.
- If you want to make Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups ahead of time, go for it! However, don’t bake the dish until you are ready to eat it. You want the cheese to be gooey and fresh, not stale and rubbery. Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups can be pre-assembled and stored in the refrigerator 24-hours in advance of baking.
Other Fillings to Try for Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups
This recipe is extremely versatile, which is awesome for all you keto folks out there who need a good toolbelt of recipes to survive life without carbs. Here are some great alternatives when you need to switch things up:
- Meat Sauce: Make marinara sauce and add in some ground pork or beef.
- Cheese Sauce: Swap out the marinara sauce for my Easy Alfredo Sauce (5 Minutes) to make a creamier “lasagna”.
- Zucchini Roll-Ups with Chicken: Up the protein content in this dish by rolling up some shredded chicken inside the zucchini. In a rush? Grab a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make the shreds.
- Mushroom Sauce: Saute some mushrooms in butter, salt and pepper and a clove of fresh garlic. Add the cooked mushrooms into either alfredo or marinara sauce.
- Top it with Pesto: Once the lasagna comes out of the oven, top it with some spoonfuls of pesto (store bought or homemade) to add a pop of color and an herb-y flavor.
Add in More Veggies: Sautee up some spinach and roll it up in your zucchini. This goes great with an alfredo sauce base. You could also use kale if your feeling extra-healthy!
Other Delicious Zucchini Recipes
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 zucchinis
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 16 oz mozzarella cheese grated
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp garlic salt with parsley
- 1/4 bunch fresh basil leaves
- 16 oz pasta sauce
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients for the recipe.
- Combine ricotta, eggs, parmesan, basil, garlic salt and fresh garlic together.
- Slice all zucchini into long strips. Spread half of the sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. Spread cheese mixture onto the zucchini strips, Roll them up.
- Line them up together on a baking dish. You can line them up as you wish, standing up or sideways.
- Top it off with the rest of the sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden on top.
Can this be frozen at all? Before or after baking?
Hey Lisa, I would recommend freezing after.
Was soooo delicious! Will definitely make again!
Alison, thank you so much for letting me know. I bet this was a great lighter mean to have after Thanksgiving 😉
Looks yummy. Would it work if i added some meat? Beef? Deli meat?
Hey Ksusha, I did add some tips on adding meats in recipe description. You can definitely add meats to it.
I have a question about the amount of mozzarella. I made the dish and used the 16 oz. block of mozzarella. Your photos don't seem to be as much. Is this amount correct. Next time, I will decrease the mozzarella to 6-8 oz. or so because it was way too much. Total fat in the dish was 40g! It was delicious, though.
We like to be generous with cheese but it can be easily adjusted to your own liking. I love the cheesy veggies in this dish!
Looks pretty, I'm sure taste won't disappoint and the dish is everything i love! Thanks, Natalya, for a great meatless recipe.
Yes, its pretty darn yummy 🙂 Are you not eating meat?
I do once in a while, but mostly separately, in a form of steak or shashlik. If i cook with meat it goes to garbage, don't even know what's wrong with us lately.
Oh wow. Tim and I love meat dishes. We do like zucchini a lot too 🙂 Its like a staple ingredient at home.