Learn how to make my tried-and-true zucchini lasagna! Every bite has the flavors of a classic lasagne but with zucchini “noodles” instead of pasta. Over the years, I’ve perfected this recipe so that the results are not watery or undercooked zucchini but perfectly tender zucchini noodles layered with melty cheese and rich marinara.
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of anything related to pasta, luscious red sauce, and melty cheese. I’m obsessed with Italian food, but I try to keep it balanced because Italian cuisine tends to be higher in carbs. And that’s where this healthy zucchini recipe comes in!
Zucchini lasagna is a modern twist on regular lasagna! It’s made with layers of baked zucchini instead of pasta noodles. Between each layer are all the classics of regular lasagna that we know and love – a cheesy ricotta filling, fresh basil, and rich marinara!
It’s low-carb yet decadent and cheesy! I am so sure you and your family will love this recipe.
Ingredients Needed
To make this recipe, you’ll need just a handful of Italian cheeses, fresh produce, and fresh herbs. Here’s the full list: Zucchini (yellow or green), Parmigiano Reggiano (fresh parmesan), mozzarella (low moisture), ricotta, garlic cloves, egg, fresh basil, fresh oregano, and marinara sauce.
Let’s Make Zucchini Lasagna – Step by Step
How to Cut Zucchini Noodles
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Use a mandoline slicer. The most important step in mastering zucchini lasagna is getting precise cuts for the noodles. I like to use a mandoline slicer for this, set the tool to 1/8 inch cuts and always use the guard for protection!
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Or use a chef’s knife. Another way you can cut the zucchini into noodles is slicing the ends off, standing the zucchini upright, and using a chefs knife to eyeball 1/8 inch cuts. I would only recommend this step if you are experienced with a chef’s knife. Be very careful and patient with the cuts if you do this.
How to Make Zucchini Noodles Less Watery
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Salt the zucchini. In order to remove excess moisture, you have to salt the zucchini. Arrange the noodles on paper towels and lightly salt them, then let them sit for 10 minutes. Pat them dry when finished and wipe off the salt.
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Pre-bake the zucchini noodles. The next step to ensure the noodles are soft and not watery, is to bake them. Place the noodles on trays lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes at 375F. Then pat dry when they’re removed from the oven.
Assemble the Lasagna
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Mix the ricotta filling. In a small to medium-sized bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh basil, egg, and pinch of salt & black pepper.
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Layer the lasagna. Next, in a 13×9 baking dish, spread a thin layer of marinara, and a layer of zucchini noodles.
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Add the ricotta and herbs. Next, spread a thin layer of ricotta and sprinkle the chopped basil and oregano over top.
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Top with cheese and repeat. Next, add a layer of mozzarella and a little parmesan cheese. Then repeat until finished with sauce, zucchini noodles, ricotta, herbs, and cheese.
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Final layer and bake. Top the last layer of the lasagna with mozzarella and parmesan. Bake uncovered at 375F for 40-45 minutes, broil on HIGH for 1 minute for the cheese to brown. Then slice and serve!
How to Reheat
If refrigerated or frozen, the lasagna can be easily reheated.
Preheat oven to 350F for refrigerated lasagna and reheat for around 15 minutes until warm.
For unbaked frozen lasagna, let thaw and bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
Tips For Success
Mandoline Slicer
Slice Vegetables Like a Pro
I love using this mandoline slicer to get consistent cuts of zucchini for this recipe – it makes my life so much easier! It's a safe and efficient way to slice all types of vegetables. A must-have for your kitchen.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.- Zucchini needs to be thinly sliced. Using either a mandoline slicer or precise cuts using a chef’s knife, the zucchini must be cut thin (no more than 1/4 of an inch and no less than 1/8 of an inch). This will ensure the zucchini can cook properly and the dish will be a success!
- Thin layers are key. Over the years of making this recipe, I found my biggest mistake was layering the sauce and ricotta too much per layer. Keep it thin; use less than you need and it will all add up and come together when baked. This will also help the lasagna have structured slices and not become a mess in the baking dish.
- Use our favorite marinara (homemade or store-bought). You can use my family’s San Marzano Tomato Sauce or my family’s favorite store-bought marinara!
- Fresh basil is a must. I think fresh herbs make all the difference! I love layering lasagna with chopped fresh basil and even fresh oregano. Remember, dried herbs do not give as much flavor as fresh herbs.
- If the ricotta is too watery, strain it. Every brand of ricotta is different, but some have extra liquid that can contribute to a watery zucchini lasagna. To prevent this, use a fine mesh strainer to drain the extra liquid before using it in the dish.
Add meat. If you want a more filling lasagna, add ground turkey, beef, or chicken, or sweet or spicy Italian sausage (removed from casing). Side note: the meat needs to be browned in a pan before layering into the dish.
Add vegetarian protein. If you’re looking for a plant-based protein to add, you can do cooked lentils!
Use eggplant instead or in addition. As much as we love zucchini noodles, we also love using eggplant noodles too! Check out our eggplant lasagna for more info on this. You can also do a combination of both like our eggplant and zucchini lasagna
Layer with a meat sauce. If you’d like to add more meat and make it a complete meal, you can replace marinara with our bolognese sauce or Italian meat sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Pasta. One of our favorite things to serve with this lasagna is pasta! Whether using gluten-free pasta made with chickpeas or our favorite whole-grain pasta. If you want to keep it low-carb, you can skip the pasta!
Protein. If you want to add a serving of protein alongside this lasagna, pair it with our 15-minute lemon chicken piccata, our secret ingredient Italian meatballs, or chicken parmesan!
Salad. Whenever we make this dish, we always serve it alongside an Italian or Mediterranean-style salad, such as our Tuscan artichoke salad, Panzanella salad, or our go-to Greek chickpea salad!
Bread. Lastly, crusty Italian bread is a lasagna’s best friend! You can do an Italian loaf, healthy grain bread, or sourdough.
Love Zucchini? Try these Recipes!
When summer comes, I am always making zucchini dishes! If you love this lasagna, you might also love our zucchini rollatini, baked parmesan zucchini fries, zucchini meatballs, or this eggplant & zucchini lasagna!
Zucchini Lasagna
Video
Ingredients
- 4-5 large zucchinis, sliced thin (1/8-inch cuts)
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano/Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb mozzarella, shredded
- 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
Ricotta filling
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (drained of liquids)
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano/Parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Salt & pre-bake zucchini noodles: arrange zucchini slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with salt – let sit for 5-10 minutes so zucchini "sweats" any excess moisture. Use paper towels to press and dry zucchini noodles, and wipe off any extra salt. Then bake noodles for 8-10 minutes – pat them dry after baking. Note: pre-baking the zucchini will help dry up even more moisture from the noodles.
- Ricotta filling: in a medium-sized bowl, mix all of ricotta filling ingredients together.
- Layer ingredients: In a 13×9 baking dish, layer lasagna: spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, add layer of cooked zucchini noodles, thin layer of ricotta filling, and mozzarella cheese & little parmesan Repeat each step until finished. On top layer with sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
- Bake: Leave dish uncovered and bake for 40-45 minutes, then broil on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes until cheese is browned. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Slice and enjoy!
Just made this! Impatiently waiting for it to cool down and dig in. Yum!!
Great idea, will try. Thank you very much!
LOVED this recipe. Made for the first time, absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it. Only issue was presentation, it did not bind together, very watery despite removing water with salt on each individual piece of zucchini. I added turkey but lightly added sauce to turkey and then layered it in the dish but I even removed the sauce before layering. Was still watery. I am going to try again. Maybe I did not drain enough of the water from the ricotta, not sure. Despite ALL that, was still delicious, took nothing away from the taste. Thanks so much for sharing. Made me look like a great cook!!
I’m so glad to hear it was delicious despite the watery-ness. I would focus on the pre-baking of the eggplant, after the slices are baked they release a good bit of water. Pat them dry the best you can before assembling, this should help! Zucchini is tricky, because I find sometimes it can have more moisture than another I used. However, drying them post baking of the zucchini sheets should make a difference 🙂 at least I hope it does for you!
Is it ok to freeze before baking?
yep, that should be fine!
I just made this today and it was delicious! I used pecorino Romano grated cheese, part skim ricotta and part skim shredded mozzarella. It all worked wonderfully.
Love to hear it, Dawn! Thank you for sharing 🙂
This looks delicious. Have you tried making with dehydrated zucchini slices? I have a ton of zucchini and was going to dry some.
Would you know if I wanted to use Nutrional Yeast in place of the Parm would I do exact measurements for each?
Thanks
Hi eileen! I’ve never done that swap, but I believe nutritional yeast is a bit more potent so from reading online I would go with half the amount of nutritional yeast as this recipe calls for parm:)
Can I make in the morning and cook for dinner?
You should be able to! It might get a little watery as it sits that’s my only concern with waiting to bake it. You could always bake it half way, than finish later. Or bake it then reheat later too!