These cheesy zucchini roll ups are made with thinly sliced zucchini, bundled up with a basil and three-cheese filling, and baked in a tomato sauce.
While we love zucchini lasagna, these zucchini roll ups are easier to make. I often bake it using our air fryer/toaster oven to avoid heating up the kitchen during the summer.
You can use your favorite jarred sauce, home canned tomato sauce, or make a summer tomato sauce with freshly harvested tomatoes.
Steps to Making Zucchini Roll Ups
This recipe for zucchini roll ups is a great way to use up that zucchini harvest. This casserole is made with strips of zucchini, rolled up with a delicious basil and three-cheese filling, and baked in a tomato sauce. It is like lasagna but without all the work.
The full, printable recipe can be found at the bottom of the article, but here are the illustrated steps for making zucchini roll ups.
Step 1: Prepare the Zucchini
Use small, straight zucchini about 8-inches long and 3-inches wide. Rinse well and cut off both ends. Then, slice the zucchini as thinly as you can with a vegetable peeler, mandolin, or knife. You are aiming for about 1/8-inch thick strips that are flexible so you can roll them.
Spread out the sliced zucchini in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel to absorb any extra moisture while you prepare the cheese filling.
If your strips are not flexible, they will be too difficult to roll. You can soften them first by placing them on a parchment lined baking sheet and roasting for about 5 minutes in the oven. Let the zucchini cool, pat dry, and then proceed with filling and rolling.
Step 2: Make the Cheese Filling
Add the ricotta cheese, about half the shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, egg, basil, salt, and pepper in a medium sized bowl and mix to combine.
Step 3: Assemble the Zucchini Roll Ups
Spread the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9 to 10-inch casserole dish. You can use any size pan that holds about 2 to 3 quarts, such as a pie plate, square cake pan, or small oblong baking dish.
Add a spoonful of the cheese mixture to one end of the zucchini, roll it up, and place it seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining strips, nestling the bundles in the tomato sauce as you work. You can use toothpicks to secure if your zucchini keeps trying to unroll. Remove the toothpicks before serving.
Step 4: Bake the Zucchini Roll Ups
Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella cheese, cover with foil, and bake in a preheated oven. Uncover for the last 10 minutes so the cheese can melt. Bake until the zucchini is cooked through and the cheese is bubbly.
Sprinkle with basil leaves, and serve warm with your favorite side dishes, such as crusty slices of bread to mop up the sauce, and a leafy green salad with homemade vinaigrette.
Cheesy Zucchini Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini about 8 inches long by 3 inches wide
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese divided
- 1/8 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- Extra basil leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ËšF.
- Slice the zucchini into 1/8-inch thick strips (about 3mm) using a vegetable peeler, mandolin, or knife.
- Lay the zucchini strips in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel, and let the zucchini dry out briefly while you prepare the cheese filling.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, about half the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add the tomato sauce to the bottom of a 9-inch baking dish.
- Pat the zucchini dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Place about one tablespoon of the cheese mixture on one end of each zucchini strip, roll up, and place seam side down on top of the sauce in the baking dish.
- Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese, cover, and bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh basil, and serve warm. Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition
Hungry for More?
- Zucchini Garlic Bites Recipe
- Garden Fresh Zucchini Lasagna
- Italian Ricotta Gnocchi
- 3 Ways to Preserve Zucchini
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Whether you are new to growing your own food or have been growing a vegetable garden for years, you will benefit from some planning each year. You will find everything you need to organize and plan your vegetable garden in my PDF eBook, Grow a Good Life Guide to Planning Your Vegetable Garden.
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