Zucchini! That are the veggie of the season right now no doubt! They are easy to grow, and I bet your garden is bursting with them. If not, you can undoubtedly find them at every farmer’s market in your area! Seasonal eating is a big deal for us. It allows us to use up all the produce we have on hand. And it also gives us some variety in the foods we eat and the dished we make throughout the year. If you’re looking for the perfect season dish for summer, these zucchini lasagna roll ups are definitely the recipe for you!
Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups Ingredients
- Zucchini
- Ricotta Cheese
- Cream Cheese
- Garlic
- Herbs
- Marinara or Meat Sauce
- Provolone Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
The Zucchini
The zucchini is obviously the star of the show in this recipe! You can really use any kind of zucchini or summer squash for this recipe that you can cut into long thin strips. This dish is perfect if you are trying to stay low carb but still want the satisfaction of a savory cheesy pasta dish!
The Herbs
I like to use a blend of fresh herbs to really make the flavor pop. My favorite Italian herb blend includes parsley, oregano, and basil. However, you can really include whatever herbs best fit your palette. Thyme, tarragon, rosemary, and marjoram would all be lovely additions. Also, dried herbs work wonderfully as well! If you don’t have fresh herbs – no problem! Substituting with half the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh herbs is best since dried herbs usually have a stronger flavor!
The Sauce
This recipe calls for a marinara or a meat sauce. You can make this sauce at home from a simple blend of tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, more herbs, and ground beef. Or you can use your favorite meat or marinara sauce from the market. Although, I’ve not tried this, I would imagine this dish would be delicious with an alfredo sauce as well!
The Cheese
I like to top my zucchini lasagna roll ups with provolone cheese. But this too can totally be substituted! Topping this dish with mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, or really any cheese of your choosing would certainly be delicious as well!
Preparing The Individual Parts For The Lasagna
Preparing The Zucchini Slices
Before assembling the lasagna, you’ll need to prepare the individual parts. Begin by preparing the zucchini.
To create the long strips of zucchini, I like to use a vegetable peeler. You could use a knife to make the slices, but this would probably be a little more difficult and take a little longer. The most important part of the zucchini strips is that they need to be very thin!
Using the vegetable peeler, make the first slice, and discard this piece. The piece that has skin on the outside will not roll as well as the next slices. Peel off several more slices of the zucchini until you start to get into the seeds.
At this point, flip the zucchini over and repeat the process on the other side. Once you come to the seedy middle on this side, discard or compost the rest of the zucchini. This is a relatively small portion of the middle of the veggie, so it’s not much waste.
Preparing The Cheese Filling
Next, we’ll prepare the cheese filling. To start, you’ll want to take your cloves of garlic and cut them in half. Then place them in a small piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
While the garlic is roasting, prepare the rest of the cheese filling by combining the ricotta and cream cheese and stirring together.
If using fresh herbs, chop them very finely. Add the herbs to the cheeses and stir it all together very well.
By this point, your garlic should be soft. Remove from the oven, and squeeze the garlic out of the skins into the cheese mixture. Mash the cloves into a paste with a fork, and thoroughly combine in the rest of the cheese filling.
Assembling The Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
Now that everything is prepared, it’s time to assemble the lasagna. Drizzle the bottom of your cast iron skillet with olive oil.
Next, take one of the zucchini slices and add about a tablespoon of the cheese filling at one end of the zucchini. Roll the zucchini all the way so that the cheese is inside. Place the rolled zucchini and cheese in the cast iron skillet standing up.
Repeat with all the other zucchini slices until the entire cast iron skillet is full of the little zucchini rolls.
Top the zucchini lasagna roll ups with your favorite meat or marinara sauce, and layer slices of provolone cheese on top.
Bake the lasagna in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes until the cheese is melty and golden and the zucchini slices are tender.
Remove from the oven, and serve along side your favorite garlic bread and side skillet! This is a great way to sneak more veggies into your families’ diets. You’ll be amazed at how much they love this veggie loaded dish.
If you love easy recipes like this one, be sure to give this dish a try and tag us on Instagram and Facebook to share your results @almostheavenhomesteading
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Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
These zucchini lasagna roll ups are the perfect low carb Italian comfort food dish! Combining ricotta cheese and cream cheese for the perfect filling, then topped with marinara sauce, this dish will be your favorite way to use up all your zucchini!
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Zucchini
- 7 Oz. Ricotta Cheese
- 4 Oz. Cream Cheese
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Small Sprigs Oregano
- 2 Small Sprigs Parsley
- 2 Cups Marinara or Meat Sauce
- 4 Slices Provolone Cheese
- 3 T Olive Oil (Divided)
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel thin slices of your zucchini. (Discard the first slice with mostly skin, and only peel slices until you reach the seeds in the middle)
- Cut the cloves of garlic in half, and place on a piece of foil.
- Drizzle with 1 T of the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Mix the ricotta cheese and cream cheese in a small bowl.
- Mince the herbs, and add to the cheeses.
- Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into the cheeses. Mash into a paste, and mix the herbs and garlic thoroughly into the cheeses.
- Add salt and pepper to the cheeses to taste and stir.
- Drizzle the remaining 2 T of olive oil into a cast iron skillet or baking dish.
- Add a tablespoon of the cheese mixture to the end of one of the pieces of zucchini, and roll the zucchini around the cheese all the way to the end.
- Add the zucchini roll to the skillet or baking dish standing up.
- Repeat with all the other pieces of zucchini and the rest of the cheese filling.
- Pour the marinara sauce or meat sauce over the zucchini rolls.
- Add the provolone cheese to the top of the dish, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.
- Plate your zucchini rolls and enjoy!
Notes
You can certainly use dried herbs in the cheese filling if you prefer. Use 1 tsp of each of the herbs.
Also, feel free to top the dish with whatever cheese you prefer. Mozzarella is also a great option!
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