Zucchini Rollatini (Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups)

Tender, thinly cut zucchini strips are used to wrap up a three cheese ricotta mixture and are then nestled on top of browned italian sausage and rich marinara sauce. They are then topped with even more cheese. Zucchini Rollatini is a meal where you'll be going back for seconds.

Rollatini is a traditional italian dish, generally made with eggplant. I subbed in zucchini here, because I love it and the size works great for roll ups.

There's really nothing like a good baked italian casserole dish. Some of my favorites are eggplant parmesan, stuffed shells and venison lasagna, and these zucchini roll-ups certainly top the list as well.

Zucchini is one of the veggies that I LOVE to eat. No forcing me to eat my veggies here, it is one that I want every bite of. And with the height of summer bringing more zucchini than many gardeners know what to do with, having another delicious baked zucchini dish is a must.

Zucchini has gotten popular recently for being used as a pasta substitute (think zoodles). But it really shouldn't be thought of as "less than." Zucchini is amazing! Tender when cooked and chock full of nutrients.

our favorite zucchini recipes

• rice stuffed zucchini casserole,
• chicken veronese,
• kung pao chicken,
• crock pot chicken and rice with zucchini and tomatoes.
• best ever banana zucchini chocolate chip muffins!

These lasagna zucchini rollatini are a family favorite recipe that is the perfect mix of healthy and delicious. They are incredibly filling as well, as they are stuffed with protein from loads of cheese and italian sausage!

Looking to try another version of lasagna? Check out this Lazy Lasagna Soup.

This recipe is a great way to use up extra marinara sauce too. We always seem to have an open jar of Rao's going in the fridge and this is a great recipe that can fudge a bit one way for the other with how much sauce you add. I always err on the side of more sauce.

This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by leaving out the italian sausage. Or, if your family doesn't like italian sausage, but you still want to add meat, plain ground beef or ground turkey would work great!

Other stuffed vegetable recipes to try

Ingredients

• medium sized zucchinis (or one very large zucchini)
• Jar of marinara sauce (I love Rao's)
• italian sausage (hot or mild)
• egg
• ricotta cheese
• mozzarella cheese
• parmesan cheese
• italian seasoning
• fresh garlic
• kosher salt

How to Make Zucchini Rollatini

Begin by thinly slicing and salting your zucchini strips. Trim off each end the zucchini and either using a very sharp knife or a mandolin, slice zucchini in long strips about ⅛ an inch thick.

Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and sprinkle salt over each strip. Allow to sit for an hour. You will see beads of water form on the zucchini.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a skillet, brown italian sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go. Once cooked through, add it to the bottom of your baking dish. Pour marinara sauce over top.

In a medium sized bowl, combine ingredients for ricotta filling, including ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan, egg, minced garlic, salt, and italian seasoning. Mix until completely incorporated.

Once the zucchini strips have released their water, gently wipe down with a clean paper towel to remove excess salt and water.

Place one zucchini slice on your work space and add a scoop of the ricotta mixture (around ¼ cup). Gently roll up and then place it into the baking dish nestled on top of the red sauce. Repeat the process until all of the zucchini slices and ricotta filling are used up.

Top with a bit of additional mozzarella cheese and bake uncovered for approximately 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and enjoy!

Salting your zucchini strips

In the past I have skipped this step, but I would advise you not to. Salting your zucchini strips takes a little extra time but it's an important step for two reasons.

1. It helps remove some of the moisture from the zucchini so that when it bakes, the dish isn't overly watery.
2. It helps to make the zucchini strips more pliable and easy to roll.

How to serve rollatini

You can serve zucchini rollatini on their own (it's a full meal complete with your veggies), or you can add a bit of cooked pasta on the side or a basket of garlic bread. I like them with a crisp side salad!

Storage

Store any leftover lasagna roll ups in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Can you freeze zucchini lasagna roll ups?

You sure can! Just like with stuffed shells or stuffed peppers, this makes a great meal to double and freeze a second pan for later. You will be thanking yourself that you did! Zucchini roll ups are also a great option for gifting a meal to loved ones and it is naturally gluten free and low carb, if that is a concern.

Simply complete all steps, up until baking. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. When you go to bake it, bake from frozen and add an additional 20 minutes to the cook time.