Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
These delicious Zucchini Lasagna Rolls give you all your favorite flavors in a cheesy, creamy filling for less than 1 net carb each! This low-carb zucchini recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, and perfect for a date night.
What are Lasagna Rolls?
Zucchini Lasagna Rolls are a lightened-up, healthier alternative to traditional lasagna. Instead of using pasta, thin slices of fresh zucchini are used to encase a rich, cheesy filling, creating individual rolls. These cheesy zucchini rolls are cooked in a savory marinara sauce alongside mozzarella cheese.
This dish hits all the flavor notes of a classic lasagna, but it is low-carb, vegetarian, and keto-friendly! This dish make look intimidating, but it is much easier than you think! I’ve documented the entire process below so you can make the best zucchini rolls!
Ingredients for Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card below.
- Zucchini: fresh small to medium zucchini work best in this recipe. The larger zucchini create much larger rolls (increasing cooking time and the zucchini:cheese ratio).
- Cheeses: for this recipe, you will need ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese (the shredded, low-moisture, non-fat kind, not the fresh kind).
- Egg: size large, this is used to help bind the filling ingredients.
- Garlic: freshly minced garlic is best in this recipe.
- Spices and Herbs: parsley, oregano, basil, sea salt, garlic powder, black pepper. Fresh herbs would be great sprinkled on top as a garnish, as well.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Avocado oil or you preferred cooking choice will work fine.
- Marinara Sauce: Using a low carb version like Rao’s keeps this keto-friendly. If you’re not low-carb, feel free to use your favorite marinara.
How to Make Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
The final product looks deliciously impressive and complex, but the recipe is actually pretty easy! It does include a few steps to make sure your zucchini doesn’t come out soggy or watery, but here’s a step-by-step guide for this simple process:
Slice & bake zucchini
To prepare zucchini lasagna rolls, you start by slicing zucchini lengthwise into thin strips using a knife, mandoline slicer, or vegetable peeler. These zucchini slices serve as the “noodles” in the dish. Arrange the zucchini on the prepared baking sheet so that no pieces are overlapping. Brush the zucchini slices on both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle one side of the zucchini slices with 1⁄4 tsp salt. Bake for 8 minutes, then flip and bake for another 8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly once cooked.
Mix the filling
For the filling combine the ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, spices, herbs, minced garlic, and an egg to bind everything together. The mixture will be thick and creamy.
Assemble the lasagna rolls
Take a single cooked zucchini strip, and spoon 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto the
wider end. The cheese mixture should take up no more than 2” on the zucchini. Roll the
zucchini from the wider end with the cheese. Place seam-side down in the marinara-lined baking dish.
Repeat with the remaining zucchini until they’re all rolled and in the pan. You can either place the rolls seam-side down or secure them with toothpicks to prevent them from unraveling during baking.
Finish with marinara & mozzarella
Once the zucchini rolls are arranged in the baking dish, pour the remaining marinara sauce over the rolls. Lastly, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake
Bake the rolls in a 400-degree oven until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 25 minutes. When the zucchini lasagna rolls are done baking, they are removed from the oven and allowed to cool for a few minutes.
Serve
These lasagna rolls are best served with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese! A simple arugula salad, keto garlic bread chaffles, and a rosemary gin fizz would round out the entire meal for just under 10 net carbs. Stretch the meal even further with Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms!
More sides to serve with lasagna rolls:
- Asparagus & Tomato Panzanella Salad
- Italian Baked Mushrooms
- The BEST Keto Dinner Rolls
- Instant Pot Artichokes
- Air Fryer Ravioli
How do I prevent soggy Zucchini?
A common issue in baked zucchini dishes is too much moisture. Zucchini naturally contains a ton of moisture so if you do not prep it correctly you will end up with a sad, soggy dish. Fortunately, this can be easily avoided by following the tips below:
- Choose firm zucchini: Select zucchini that is firm and fresh. Avoid zucchini that feels soft or has wrinkled skin, as these are signs of age and may result in a mushy texture.
- Salt and drain the zucchini: Sprinkling salt on the sliced zucchini and letting it sit for about 10-15 minutes can help draw out excess moisture. Afterward, pat the zucchini dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. This step can help reduce the water content of the zucchini and prevent excessive sogginess during cooking.
- Bake or grill the zucchini: Before using the zucchini in the lasagna rolls, bake or quickly grill the slices. Baking or grilling will help remove some moisture and give the zucchini a slightly firmer texture.
- Bake at a higher temperature, such as 400 degrees F. When baking the zucchini lasagna rolls, use a higher oven temperature. A hotter oven can help evaporate excess moisture quickly, resulting in less sogginess.
If you love this recipe, you’ll love these cheesy recipes!
- Cheesy Zucchini Casserole – Enjoy all the same flavors and ingredients but in a different, family-friendly casserole style and big blobs of fresh mozzarella!
- Roasted Garlic Eggplant Rolls – This is similar, but it’s big eggplant slices stuffed with an herby, cheesy filling and then baked in marinara! SO delicious!
- Keto Ravioli – Instead of stuffing something with cheese, we stuffed cheese with our our favorite ravioli filling! This one has the benefit of being super quick, too. (This version is great if you prefer a pesto chicken twist.)
- Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks – When you need a quick dose of cheesy goodness, this is your recipe. When you need a keto-friendly, gluten-free, homemade dose of cheesy goodness, try this other recipe instead.
- Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus – We love this side with nearly anything! You can easily switch up the seasonings based on your main entrée!
Get the Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
Ingredients
For the Cheese Filling:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/4 oz
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Other ingredients:
- 4 medium zucchinis, 2 pounds total
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups jarred marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice each zucchini into 1⁄4” strips lengthwise, so you end up with at least 6 nice strips per zucchini. The two end slices will be much smaller, so you can save them & chop them for a stir fry or salad!
- Arrange the zucchini on the prepared baking sheet so that no pieces are overlapping.
- Brush the zucchini slices on both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle one side of the zucchini slices with 1⁄4 tsp salt.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then flip and bake for another 8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly once cooked.
- While the zucchini is cooking, mix all the filling ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Grease a 9”x9” square baking pan or casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Spoon 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the pan and spread into an even layer.
- Take 1 cooked zucchini strip, and spoon 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto the wider end. The cheese mixture should take up no more than 2” on the zucchini. Roll the zucchini from the wider end with the cheese. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining zucchini until they’re all rolled and in the pan.
- Spoon the remaining 1⁄2 cup sauce over the zucchini rolls.
- Sprinkle 3⁄4 cup of the mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake in the center rack of the oven at 400°F for 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. You can also broil the dish for 2-3 minutes at the very end to give the cheese a golden touch.
Notes
- For the cheese filling, feel free to swap the dried herbs with an equal amount of chopped fresh herbs of choice!
- If feeding a crowd, I’d recommend doubling or tripling this recipe since these roll ups get eaten very quickly because they’re only a few bites each.
- Using a sharp chef’s knife is key here to slice the zucchini thin without cutting yourself. Please don’t use a serrated knife here!
