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Get It NowYou’re going to love the cheesy, meaty, and saucy layers in this easy zucchini lasagna recipe! Much like eggplant lasagna or spaghetti squash lasagna boats, zucchini lasagna recipes swap out the flour pasta for nutritious veggie noodles, making it a great low carb, gluten-free, and all-around healthy option. Make it ahead for a quick dinner that’s sure to satisfy!
Zucchini is one of my fave veggies because you can use it in so many ways… as zoodles, zucchini pizza crust, crispy zucchini fries, and even sweet zucchini muffins. And, lasagna with zucchini is definitely toward the top of my list! It’s got the traditional layers of lasagna, but instead of traditional pasta sheets, we’re using long, thin strips of zucchini for a low carb lasagna that’s just as delicious.
Zucchini Lasagna Recipe: Why You’ll Love It
- All the comfort food flavors of regular lasagna
- Tender zucchini noodles, creamy cheese filling, hearty tomato meat sauce, and melty cheese on top
- Easy to prep ahead
- Naturally low carb (just 5.3 grams net carbs per serving)
- Healthy, keto zucchini lasagna the whole family will love
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for easy zucchini lasagna, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Zucchini Lasagna Noodles:
- Zucchini – Thicker zucchini works best, because it makes wider slices for the noodle layer. But any size you can find will do; you just might need more zucchini if yours is very small.
- Olive Oil – Olive oil imparts traditional flavor, but you could also use avocado oil if you prefer.
- Sea Salt
Meat Sauce:
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic for the best flavor, or jarred for convenience.
- Meat – I prefer 85/15 grass-fed ground beef, but any lean ground beef you have on hand will work. You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey if you prefer.
- Marinara Sauce – I recommend a sugar-free marinara sauce, but any kind works. You can also change this up by using pesto sauce, which I did in my original version of this zucchini lasagna recipe, but now I much prefer a classic marinara or another tomato sauce.
VARIATION: Add veggies to the meat, or make a vegetarian version!
You can replace the ground beef with a mixture of sauteed diced onions, sliced mushrooms, and drained frozen spinach instead. You can also add any of these in addition to the beef (just saute before cooking the beef.)
Cheese Filling:
- Ricotta Cheese – Use full-fat ricotta for best flavor and texture. However, skim or 2% will work if that’s what you have on hand.
- Parmesan Cheese – Use a grated, not shredded, parmesan.
- Egg – Use a large egg. Most egg substitutes don’t work too well here, but aquafaba would probably be the closest substitute for this zucchini lasagna recipe.
How To Make Zucchini Lasagna
This section shows how to make zucchini lasagna with meat, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Slice the zucchini. Use a mandoline or sharp knife to slice zucchini into thin sheets, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Roast the zucchini. Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on an extra large baking sheet (this one is the perfect size, and it never sticks, but you can line with parchment paper if you like). Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast until soft and mostly dry.
TIP: Dry the noodles completely.
Pat zucchini with paper towels to soak up extra water or oil.
- Cook the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in cast iron braiser, Dutch oven, or large skillet, and saute garlic until fragrant. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in the marinara sauce and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the cheese filling. In a small to medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, parmesan, and egg.
- Assemble the zucchini lasagna. Arrange a layer of zucchini slices on the bottom of baking dish and top with half of the meat sauce. Dollop with ricotta mixture (use half), then spread. Top with half of shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers, with mozzarella last.
- Bake. Since the layers are already cooked, this doesn’t take long. Just bake until the cheese on top of the zucchini lasagna is melted and golden. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
Tips For The Best Zucchini Lasagna
Since you aren’t using regular lasagna noodles, here are a few tips to make this zucchini lasagna recipe turns out great and not watery:
- Use a mandoline to slice zucchini. This ensures that your zucchini lasagna noodles are a uniform thickness, so they cook evenly. It’s tough to get the same consistency with a knife.
- Don’t overdo the olive oil on the zucchini noodles. We want them to somewhat dry out during the roasting process, so that the zucchini lasagna doesn’t end up wet. If there is too much oil, the water doesn’t escape as well from the zucchini. Just a light amount of oil is fine.
- Roast the zucchini in a single layer. Make sure the pieces don’t overlap, because this will trap moisture. And, don’t forget to pat them dry at the end.
- Don’t salt the beef. This is different from almost every other recipe that requires cooked ground beef. The marinara has salt, the cheeses are all already salty, and we are salting the zucchini lightly to help get rid of moisture during roasting. The meat doesn’t need extra salt.
- Dollop the ricotta/parmesan mixture in small pieces. This part can be a little challenging to spread, so small pieces make it easier. If you dump it all in one spot in the center, it will be more difficult. The mixture does go into the ground beef below a little as you spread, which is okay.
- Broil if you want more golden cheese. Zucchini lasagna typically gets dark enough without needing to broil it, but if it’s done and you still want the cheese darker, broil on high for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep any leftover zucchini lasagna covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: Prep ahead by roasting the zucchini noodles, making the meat sauce, and/or stirring together the ricotta cheese layer ahead of time. You can also assemble the entire dish and store in refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze before baking.
- Reheat: If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight first. Reheat the zucchini lasagna in the oven at 350 degrees F, or you can microwave it, as it’s not prone to drying out.
- Freeze: You can freeze this dish before or after the final baking step. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. No need to thaw before reheating, but it will reheat faster if you thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Easy Zucchini Recipes
If you like this lasagna recipe with zucchini instead of noodles, you might also like some of these other naturally low carb zucchini recipes:
Tools To Make Zucchini Lasagna Recipes
- Mandoline – A must for thin, uniform zucchini slices.
- XL Sheet Pan – This one is a great size to fit all the zucchini in a single layer, plus it’s durable and I love the coating.
- Cast Iron Braiser – I use this because it’s large with tall sides, so you won’t lose any of the meat sauce over the side. Plus, it’s gorgeous for serving other dishes.
- 9×13 Casserole Dish – My favorite one to use for most of my casseroles. It’s beautiful (comes in different colors, too!) and durable.
Zucchini Lasagna (Easy & Healthy!)
You'll love this easy zucchini lasagna recipe with tender zucchini, creamy filling, hearty meat sauce, and melty cheese. Healthy & low carb!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Roasted Zucchini:
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line an extra large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Use a mandoline to slice zucchini lengthwise into thin sheets, about 1/4 inch thick.
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Arrange the zucchini on the lined baking sheet, in a single layer. Brush both sides with olive oil (use about 2 tablespoons), then sprinkle both sides lightly with sea salt.
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Roast the zucchini slices in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until soft and mostly dry.
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When done, remove the zucchini from the oven but leave it on at 400. Pat the zucchini with paper towels to soak up any extra water or oil.
Meat Sauce:
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Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a saute pan or cast iron braiser on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the ground beef. Cook for about 10 minutes, until browned. Stir in the marinara sauce and remove from heat. Taste and adjust salt/pepper if needed.
Cheese Filling:
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Meanwhile, stir together the ricotta and parmesan cheeses. Stir in the egg.
Assembly:
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Arrange a layer of zucchini slices at the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with half of the meat sauce. Dollop small pieces of the ricotta cheese mixture, (using half of the total amount), then spread. Finally top with half of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat the layers a second time, with shredded mozzarella last on top.
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Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and golden. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/12 of the large casserole dish (1/12 of entire recipe)
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
84 Comments
Judy
0I can’t wait for my zucchini to produce. I love this recipe.
Cyndi
0This was awesome and pretty easy to make. Thanks.
Lois
0Yummy I grilled my zucchini on a mesh screen instead of baking it fantastic
Ken Peel
0I made this tonight with everything coming from our farm. Turned out great!
Cherri
0If I make ahead and refrigerate, how long do I cook it tomorrow??
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Cherri, If it is fully cooked, you can reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
Barbie
0Excellent dish! I declare I couldn’t tell there were no noodles in this dish! This was my first time preparing with zucchini. I’m really pleased that the dish turned out delicious and flavorful. I’m eating for lunch this week. Next time I’ll use more zucchini’s but overall the dish turned out awesome! I’ll definitely fix again. Thanks so much!
Kristin
0Didn’t have a mandolina, just a knife, and our son handed us a HUGE zucchini the other day, so I thought I’d try this. Cut out the middle with all the seeds, and used my knife to slice up the rest. Of course my zucchini wasn’t ideal and “pretty” but hey, it still worked! Yum.
Deb
0I’ll be trying this fabulous recipe in a couple of days….instead of using my mandolin, I’m trying out my new “sheet slicer” Kitchenaid attachment! Looks like it’ll make easy work of the zucchini slicing. Can’t wait to try your awesome recipe! Thank you!
Pele Recely
0I love this recipe so much!
Beth
0This was amazing! Just finished dinner and I liked this so much better than the lasagna I used to make — my husband was a fan too. Definitely adding this to my tried and loved list of recipes! Thank you so much for this and all of your amazing recipes!
Benton
0This is really good. When I volunteer to fix dinner, my wife now asks for it. It’s in the regular rotation.
Maria
0All the fam loved this plate, really was delicious.
Tracy F
0Really, really good! Thanks for all you do!
Maria
0We really enjoyed this lasagna. The roasting of the zucchini truly makes all the difference. Used homemade ricotta and rather than making marinara, I used spaghetti sauce I canned last year. Will absolutely be in our meal rotation. Thank you, Maya.
J Russell
0I have made this three times in the past month. I made it for my husband and myself, then I made it for keto and non-keto eaters for dinner, and finally for a special birthday celebration. Each time I made it according to the recipe. Everyone loved it! I will say the third time I made it I didn’t have a mandolin, so it was very difficult but we managed. This is my favorite Keto recipe Thank you!
Kate
0I made this recipe and tweaked it a bit. I added a pinch of nutmeg to the ricotta mixture and sprinkled some spinach in between the layers. I also used ground pork as that was all I had in fridge. I really liked the idea of pre-cooking the zucchini and it gave it so much more flavour. One of my new favourite recipes 🙂
Kathy
0Can I assemble the dish then freeze it to bake on a later date? Was going to take it to a party today, but when I got back I was informed that it’s been postponed 2 weeks.
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Kathy, yes you can! See the storage instructions section in the post for how to do that.
Lisa T
0Very easy and very good. Everyone that has had it, loved it.
Benton
0Made this last night for dinner and we’ll have it again. Roasting the zucchini to reduce the moisture is definitely the trick and it doesn’t add much time since you need to brown the meat anyway. Next time, I think I’ll try slicing the zuc thinner and place it in two layers. Thank you for this.
Candy
0I’ve been making a similar recipe to this but I use my George Foreman grill to cook the zucchini. I don’t add any oil or salt cooking it on the grill and it turns out perfectly – no excess liquids to make the casserole watery. I’ve also used yellow squash and eggplant and a combination of all three. I also like it with cooked, crumbled Italian sausage.
Gloria Purosky
0Delicious. I made it for my son’s birthday and everyone loved it. I am an Italian-American and have been missing my pasta. This is a winner. When I made lasagna with pasta, I made my own pasta from scratch. I usually added zucchini to the layers. Roasting the zucchini before layering made the big difference. This is going into my favorites recipes.
Gloria
0Haven’t tried it yet. Just getting the ingredients ready. Wanted to let everyone know that the link for the mandoline takes you to a mandoline that shaves the zucchini. You can’t get 1/4 inch with it. I ordered it a few days ago to have it for today to make this lasagna but had to cut the zucchini by hand so they’re not very uniform. Did use the mandoline to shave one side of the zuc so it would sit flat while cutting.
I Will post later to let you know how the lasagna turns out. I think it’s going to be good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0So sorry about that, Gloria! I’ve updated the link to the right type of mandoline to use. Hope your lasagna was still delicious!
Payme
0I never have made any kind of lasagne before though am quite familiar with what it is, and have enjoyed it often. This one looked amazing, so figured I’d try it. Of course, I made some changes, as I always do. Because that is how I cook!! I didn’t have parmesan cheese, so used nutritional yeast instead. No ricotta cheese? Just use the dry cottage cheese. I added turmeric and smoked paprika to the seasonings, way more garlic .. it was fresh and pulled yesterday so I knew it would be a great addition. And I used Classico tomato and basil pasta sauce!! My zucchini was a huge one and turns out it wasn’t ripe yet, but that was a good thing, as it wasn’t watery, roasted well, and had no extra moisture. All in all, we really enjoyed it. Hubs even went for a second helping!! He loves my cooking, but almost never goes for seconds. He did suggest next time I could do half the pan with zucchini and half with regular lasagne. I told him the point of trying this recipe was to use a huge zucchini.
My only problem was the time it took.to assemble this whole thing. I think another time I would simply dice the zucchini, add it to the sauce and layer the sauce and cheeses in a casserole dish. Delicious and with enough leftovers for another meal or two.
Sue Y
0Delicious! Even the teen boy enjoyed despite the zucchini lol. Used half ground beef and half hot italin sausage for more flavor and added some italian herbs to the ricotta.
Future tweaks will look for ways to lighten it up a bit – so we have have bigger portions.
Bryan
0Question,
Where does the 3.1g of sugar come from?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Bryan, The sugars are mainly from the tomatoes in the marinara sauce. Enjoy!
Michele
0My husband makes a delicious pasta sauce am I able to use that and do I need to add more liquid. Many thx for help
Lynda King
0I made this zucchini lasagna, following the recipe exactly. The top edge, about 1 in wide, was golden brown; the top middle was not but the cheese was melted. When I cut into the lasagna it was rather soupy. It came out of the pan looking like a zucchini lasagna casserole.
What do you suggest?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lynda, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. It sounds like the zucchini didn’t roast in the oven long enough. It needs to be roasted until mostly dry.
Michele
0Thank you for this recipe. Loved having a Keto Lasagna that the whole family loved!
Swathi
0This low carb keto zucchini lasagna looks delicious
Cindy
0Thank you for this recipe. I’ve made similar recipes before and never understood why it was so watery. Following your directions exactly as written in the post above was so helpful. No more watery lasagna. It turned out perfect!
Raquel
0A flavorful and easy dinner idea! Adding to my dinner rotation!
Beth
0This is one of our favorite recipes especially for a quick and easy dinner! We love this recipe and we love zucchini! My son wasn’t too keen on trying this, but he ended up loving this recipe! Making this lasagna tonight!
Toni
0Loved these lasagna! So good and delicious!
Krista Ferow
0My favorite lasagna! It’s so easy to make!
Farrukh Aziz
0This was so delicious! I loved the zucchini in it, and the addition of ground beef was awesome! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Cindy Bowering
0Very good!
Natasha Cox
0This is one of my FAVORITE recipes on this site!!! I love the idea of GREEN lasagna. The pesto is brilliant. This dish is so satisfying, no room to miss the noodles. Adding this to our weekly rotation. I did reduce the amount a pesto a bit, last time it was a little too oily. I think that depends on the brand of store bought pesto used.
DeAnna
0I made your eggplant lasagna and it was amazing. I am planning on trying the zucchini lasagna in the future. However I received way too much zucchini from a friend. Can you just make the zucchini noodles ahead and freeze them for future use? If so, what is the best way to store them and how long will they last?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Deanna, You can prep zucchini noodles and store them in the fridge, but they cannot go in the freezer. The freezer makes them very watery and creates a weird texture, which makes it not worth doing in my opinion.
Jane
0You’re the best community anywhere, I read it every day, and I’m also so grateful I found dailydetoxingtips.com/ketosiscookbook, it helped me not only lose weight but keep it off, hope it helps some others!
Corie
0I made this last night and froze the leftovers. It was delicious! I love your website, I’ve made a handful of your recipes and each one has turned out great. Thank you for all of the easy, low-carb recipes.
MzMommy
0Love, love this recipe. Everyone absolutely need to try this!
Yvonne Martinez
0Can I replace the 2 c pesto sauce with the same amount of marinara sauce? Or should
I use less to keep it from being runny. We’re tried several of your recipes, and they all turn out great!
thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Yvonne! Yes, you can use the same amount.
Liz Callahan
0The tips were helpful, even for an experienced cook. I found that 10 minutes in the oven was enough to create the soft zucchini. Fifteen minutes resulted in crispy edges and 20 minutes left the zucchini burnt. There should also be a note to drain the meat before combining it with the sauce. All in all, the final product was bland. Next time, I’ll make it with a pound of ground beef and a pound of Italian sausage. I think I’d add some onion and diced peppers to the meat as well. And, the ricotta blend needs some Italian seasoning like garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, parsley, and pepper. With those additions, I think the dish will be tastier.
Claire
0Hi, I’ve been making this recipe three times already, and I just want to thank you for it! Using pesto gives such an anwesome taste to this lasagna dish, I don’t think I’m going to make a lasagna with just tomato sauce ever again! My family devoured it! I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit every time depending on the ingrédients I had handy. Other cheeses work wonders in that (tried gorgonzola, feta, goat cheese, they all work). And I make my own pesto using sesame seeds instead of macadamia. But sesame seeds work wonders as well in a pesto. And I use other greens as well in the pesto, such as wild garlic (grows in my garden, I have tons of it) and/or kale. Finally, since zucchini season is already almost over here, I tried it with butternut squash instead of zucchini, and it is awesome as well.
Thanks for your wonderful recipe, this one in particular is a keeper!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Claire! Have a great day!
Venus Smith
0I can’t wait to try this. New to Keto.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hope you love it, Venus!
Jan Krassner
0Can you freeze individual portions after it is completely baked? Do cheeses change texture?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jan, Yes, you definitely can! The cheeses should be fine since we are reheating them. Cheeses don’t freeze well to just thaw and eat, but in this case it’s ok since you’ll need to heat it again.
Jan Krassner
0Thanks, Maya.
Julie
0Just had to come back by here and say this was AMAZING!!!! My husband and I both LOVED it. This is a favorite for sure!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Julie! I’m glad you both liked it.
Lori A Baumhover
0In my quest to use the bunches of zucchini from my garden, I made this last night. My husband who is not a huge zucchini fan loved this recipe. It is really delicious! You won’t miss the noodles and it’s a great option for your gluten free guests. For vegetarian guests I would switch the meat for mushrooms.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Lori! I bet it would be delicious with mushrooms, too.
Manuela Anaya
0Made last night to eat today. Oh gosh, our 7×7 pan is empty! My variations were reduced amounts on the ingredients for lower yield. Also baked the zucchini about 2x as long as you called for as i really didn’t want to risk the bite being to mushy & it still looked it. The slices looked perfectly dry w/double time baking. Used regular jar pesto but less of it and added 10oz of tomato sauce in the meat for a mix of sauces as i was afraid hubby would not like it full white lasagna. Also added some fresh minced basil in the ricotta mixture cause why not? More greens can’t be bad and i had to use it up. My hubby also likes the cheese nice and caramelized so had to bake a little longer. All i could say is wow. WE DEVOURED IT! Thank you. I shared my process of making on FB with my pics and credited you and shared your recipe link recommending my peeps check out your site. You are awesome!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Manuela! Those additions sound delicious, too. I’m glad your family liked it and appreciate you sharing!
Doreen
0Delicious! So much nicer than a pasta version…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Doreen!