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These zucchini roll-ups have all the cozy lasagna flavor, but use tender zucchini instead of noodles. Thin zucchini slices are filled with sausage and ricotta, covered with sauce and cheese, then baked until hot and bubbly.
Reasons You Will Love This Recipe
- Light and Low Carb: These zucchini rolls are a lighter take on lasagna roll-ups, but they are still filling and so good.
- So Delicious: Sausage, ricotta, sauce, and zucchini make each bite cheesy, saucy, and full of flavor.
- Uses Up Zucchini: This recipe uses four whole zucchini, so it is great when your garden is full or you want more veggies.
Zucchini Roll Ups Ingredients
- Italian Sausage: I like Italian sausage because it adds a lot of flavor. Ground beef works too.
- Marinara Sauce: Use store-bought sauce or try my homemade marinara sauce.
- Try a Different Sauce: You can use pesto or Alfredo sauce instead of marinara.
- Add Spice: Use hot Italian sausage if you want a little heat.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Freshly grated cheese melts best and gives the best flavor.
- Garnish Ideas: Top your dish with fresh basil or parsley.
How to Make Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups
There are a few steps, but they are simple. I will walk you through each one. The photos help a ton, too. While these bake, make some air fryer garlic bread for a complete meal!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Trim the zucchini and slice it into ⅛-inch ribbons. A mandoline makes this easy. Place the ribbons in a bowl of water while you make the filling.
- Cook Sausage: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until soft. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Make Filling: In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, ½ cup Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Let the sausage cool a bit, then stir it into the ricotta mix. In another bowl, mix the rest of the Parmesan with the mozzarella.
- Fill Zucchini: Pour the marinara into the baking dish. Pat the zucchini dry with paper towels. Spread about 1 tablespoon of filling halfway up each ribbon.
- Roll: Roll each zucchini ribbon from the filled side to the empty side. Place it seam-side down in the sauce. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini and filling.
- Bake: Sprinkle the top with the cheese mix. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is browned. Let the zucchini roll-ups cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Zucchini Slices: Slice the zucchini into very thin slices, about ⅛ inch thick. A mandoline slicer makes this fast and easy.
Must Have Tools For This Recipe
- Skillet: Cooks the sausage, onion, and garlic.
- Mandoline Slicer: Makes thin, even zucchini ribbons.
- Mixing Bowls: Help combine the ricotta filling and cheese topping separately.
- Baking Dish: Holds the marinara and zucchini roll-ups while they bake until bubbly.
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Zucchini Roll-Ups
These zucchini roll ups are filled with a savory sausage ricotta mixture, baked in marinara, and topped with melty cheese for a lighter, cozy dinner everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, minced
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups marinara Sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Clean 4 large zucchini, cut the ends off, and slice them lengthwise into ⅛ inch thick ribbons. Using a mandoline is easiest if you have one. Place the ribbons in a bowl of water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute ½ yellow onion, minced, until it’s translucent. Add 1 pound Italian sausage to the skillet and cook until browned. Add 1 clove garlic, minced, and saute for another minute. Remove from heat.
- Whisk 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, ½ cup of the 1 cup parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the sausage mix has cooled, add it to the ricotta mixture and mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining Parmesan cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese,.
- Pour 2 cups marinara Sauce into the 9×13-inch baking dish. Dry the zucchini and lay one out in front of you. Spread about a tablespoon of the sausage ricotta filling halfway up the zucchini ribbon.
- Roll the ribbon from the filled side to the empty side and place it in the sauce. Continue with the remaining zucchini and filling.
- Once the pan is filled, top all the zucchini rolls with the mozzarella cheese mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese browns on top.
- Remove from the oven, let it cool at room temperature for at least 5 minutes, and serve!
Notes
Leftover Instructions
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Do Not Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this dish; the zucchini will become mushy after freezing and reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 534kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 29gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 1.38mgPotassium: 884mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1.109IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 444mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
More Delicious Zucchini Recipes
I love how versatile zucchini is! Not only is it a great side dish, like this cheesy zucchini gratin, but it’s also great for baking into desserts and bread. Try these other favorite recipes next, and be sure to check out all of our zucchini recipes!
This sounds so good. I’m going to give it a try in a few days, but I think I’ll take the lazy route and cut the zucchini in chunks. My local farmer’s market opens on Thursday and that’s the only place I buy sausage. Thanks for sharing,