Learn how to make my tried-and-true zucchini lasagna! This easy, gluten-free recipe has the flavors of a classic lasagne in every bite, but with thinly-sliced zucchini instead of pasta noodles. I’ve perfected this recipe so that the results are never watery, just perfectly tender zucchini layered with creamy ricotta, melty cheese and rich marinara.
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of anything related to pasta, luscious red sauce, and melted 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 lasagna comes in!
This low-carb lasagna has become a favorite in our home. The key to success is removing excess moisture from the zucchini before layering. I’ll show you exactly how to do that below.
Whether you are looking for a healthier weeknight dinner, or trying using up your summer zucchini harvest, I am so sure you and your family will love this recipe.
One reader, Thomas, says: “Absolutely the best lasagna I have ever made—I would give it 10 stars if I could.” ★★★★★
Ingredients You Need
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.
How to Make Zucchini Lasagna
Making zucchini lasagna is easier than you think! Here’s the simple process:
- Slice the zucchini into thin noodles using a mandoline or sharp knife (1/8-inch thick)
- Remove excess moisture by salting the zucchini slices, letting them sit for 10 minutes, then pre-baking at 375°F for 10 minutes
- Make the ricotta filling by mixing ricotta, parmesan, garlic, egg, and fresh herbs
- Layer the lasagna starting with marinara sauce, then zucchini noodles, ricotta mixture, fresh herbs, and mozzarella cheese (repeat layers)
- Bake uncovered at 375°F for 40-45 minutes, then broil on HIGH for 1 minute until the cheese is golden brown
Now let’s walk through each step in detail:
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 and Bake 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!
One reader, Tara, made this for her family: “Even my skeptic totally meat-eating husband had two helpings!” ★★★★★
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.
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 Tutorial
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!
Absolutely delicious and my entire family loved it. Even my Skeptic totally meat-eating husband had two helpings!!! I used two different sauces. On the bottom I put a spicy marinara and then topped with regular marinara to add an extra kick.
Yay! Always a win when it’s husband approved 😉 Thank you, Tara! Thrilled to hear it.
This was soo good! I made my own meaty marinara sauce with 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound ground pork, a 28-oz can of whole San marzanos, some onion, garlic and fresh basil. Aside from that, followed the recipe almost to a t. I only needed 2 zucchinis, and didn’t broil it cause it was already browning on top. That was the only other deviation from the recipe. My family was really impressed. Even my picky husband and 5 year old loved it!
This came out good! Glad I soaked up as much liquid as possible from the zucchini before and after pre-baking. The herbs added a lot.
well, just placed in the oven. I did pre bake and waiting on results.
Had some mushrooms that needed to be use so sautéed them and added some sliced roasted potatoes, may as well as use what’s in the fridg; makes me feel good 🙂 Did not use the ricotta cheese as thought it was to be too heavy like the recipe suggested
So glad you were able to make some adjustments! I make my veggie lasagna and regular lasagna without ricotta nowadays and love it 🙂
I make a version much like this – I saute my zucchini after salting, but before putting in the pan to bake. I’ve never had watery zucchini (but this is very time consuming). I’m going to try baking it first. Just curious. Have you ever tried baking the noodles, then freezing (after sweating them of course). It would speed up making the meal ….
Hi Mel, I’ve not tried freezing them after baking but you certainly can try that! Let me know if you do. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This recipe is excellent! I made it with our own garden produce and the fresh flavors just popped. Did not miss pasta at all. One thing I did add was mushrooms which I think helped to carry the flavors.
Thanks so much, Laura! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
This was absolutely delicious! I halfed the recipe ( only two of us) and added ground beef to my homemade marinara. I subbed cottage cheese for ricotta because I had that on hand. The flavors were devine!
Thank you so much, Jodi! That sounds so delicious. Really glad the cottage cheese was a successful swap. 🙂
First, we liked this. We aren’t zucchini fans, so when they showed up in our produce box last week, I began my search to disguise them. This did that very well. A couple things I did differently…I don’t have a mandolin and chose t slice by hand. I did NOT slice vertically, though. I sliced one side off and then put the flat side down on the cutting board and sliced the rest. I also opted to mix my fresh herbs into the ricotta mixture instead of using them as a separate layer. Should I receive zucchini again, this will be a contender.
Thanks so much Kristen! I’m glad the slicing could work out the other way. AND that you guys could enjoy zucchini despite not being fans of it! 🙂
This is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC and DELICIOUS!!! I’ve made this twice now, and I can’t get enough of it! I use Rao’s jar marinara sauce, and that truly adds to the flavor. It tastes just like regular lasagna, minus the carbs.
It’s a bit time consuming to prep, but oh-so-worth it in the end…😊Thanks for a fabulous recipe, it’s a keeper!!!!
Thanks so much Dawn! I’m so happy to hear it. 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner. It was DELICIOUS! I did make a couple of amendments. First, I added a huge pack of sliced mushrooms I got at Sam’s Club by cooking them and then adding a mushroom layer after each parmesan cheese layer. I ended up with three layers of mushrooms (the last layer being on top). The second thing that I did differently was used Great Value (Walmart brand) tomato, garlic, and basil pasta sauce because I didn’t have any tomato sauce on hand. It was so filling and I am definitely added this to my low-carb, but not keto meal plan.
Thank you so much, Autumn! I love the added mushrooms. I will have to try that myself! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Have this baking in my oven right now and it smells amazing! Hope it tastes just as good. We started limiting our carb intake recently since my husband has diabetes and we just want to be healthier. Thanks for sharing your recipe, can’t wait to try it ! 🙂
So happy to hear it Heidi! I hope you all enjoyed it 🙂
Fantastic! My family was very skeptical, but it tastes so good they could resist seconds.
Super happy to hear it! Thank you Tiffany 🙂