You’ll love these easy vegan lasagna roll ups. Low carb zucchini noodles are filled with dairy-free ricotta, set onto a pool of marinara, and baked to perfection. Vegan zucchini rollatini is easy to make, incredibly delicious and super satisfying.
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I can’t wait for you to try these zucchini lasagna roll-ups. They are so delicious and give off a legit pasta with cheese vibe…even though they’re gluten-free and dairy-free. Hey, if you’re feeling really fancy, dust the tops with dairy-free parmesan cheese!
These zucchini rollatini are soft and pillowy, light and still satisfying. PLUS, they’re super healthy, and made from wholesome ingredients. Does it get any better?
Oh yes it does…cuz this recipe is also EASY PEASY. When was the last time that happened to you? They will take you some time to prep and roll….but it’s mindless, kinda meditative work.
Vegan lasagna roll ups that use thinly sliced zucchini so they’re pliable enough to roll up and they further soften when baked for a perfect pasta texture. You won’t even miss the lasagna noodles, I promise.
You won’t miss the dairy either because this cauliflower almond ricotta has it all going on. Rich and delicious…totally YUM!
Zucchini rollatini is one of my favorite vegan zucchini recipes to use up all that marvelous zummer produce because it’s unique. You know, something a little different than zucchini bread or zucchini boats.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- ZUCCHINI: The star of the show! Not only can zucchini turn into amazing lasagna noodles, but it’s packed with nutrition too. Zucchini is low in carbs and calories, making it a great alternative to traditional pasta. It’s loaded with Vitamin C, plus zucchini contains folate, Vitamin K and A. Antioxidants in zucchini boost your immune system and help build collagen. Plus zucchini roll ups are satisfying comfort food…that happens to be healthy!
- RICOTTA: My dairy-free vegan ricotta recipe is easy to make with cauliflower and almonds. Or use your favorite store bought ricotta. Kite Hill Ricotta is a good choice if you’re looking to save time…or you could make my dairy-free bechamel sauce and use that instead.
- MARINARA: Look for a brand in glass container with few ingredients. If I buy jarred sauce, I like Raos Marinara. Or, when tomatoes are in season, make a batch of my roasted tomato sauce…DEE-lish!
Why you will love this recipe
- Kosher for Passover and can be served as a main course or a side dish.
- DELICIOUS: Rich and creamy and totally satisfying. A plant based meal everyone can rally around.
- LIGHT: The perfect light and low carb summer meal.
- MAKE AHEAD: The ultimate meal prep recipe because it reheats like a dream and you can even freeze it.
- FUN: Whoever told you that healthy food is boring never tasted these vegan zucchini roll ups.
- HEALTHY: Nutrient dense ingredients like zucchini that are full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and cauliflower ricotta make every bite really count for something.
- EASY: Although these zucchini ricotta rolls taste decadent, they come together quickly. You’ll turn these simple ingredients into a gorgeous casserole in no time.
- HEALTHY COMFORT FOOD: Totally satisfies the need to nourish.
How to make it
First, gather the ingredients. If you haven’t yet made the vegan ricotta, do that before you begin to prep the zucchini.
Steam the cauliflower, then add it to the bowl of a food processor along with the slivered almonds, garlic, spices, lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse until well mixed and then scrape down the sides before processing again until smooth. More detailed instructions can be found on the homemade dairy-free ricotta recipe.
Now it’s time to prepare the zucchini. Cut off each end. Then, you’ll cut off a lengthwise sliver so the zucchini will sit flat. It will be easier to make the long strips if the zucchini holds still.
Pull a vegetable peeler across the length of the zucchini to get long thin ⅛″ thick strips. Continue until all three zucchini have been turned into lasagna noodles.
Spread ¾ cup of the marinara into the bottom of a baking dish 9 x 13
Lay zucchini strips onto a flat surface and then spread a heaping teaspoon of ricotta evenly across the surface.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs if you have oregano, thyme, basil or parsley. Otherwise, sprinkle with dried italian spices.
Roll each zucchini noodle and then place it onto the marinara in the baking pan. Continue until pan is full.
You can leave them upright, or lay them down flat. The size of your pan or the amount of roll ups you have will help you determine which will fit best.
Spoon remaining ¾ cup marinara over the roll ups.
Bake for 25 minutes until casserole is bubbling and zucchini has softened.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- SAVE TIME: There’s no shame in using jarred sauce (find a healthy one—I like Raos Marinara) or premade vegan ricotta. I like Kite Hill Almond Ricotta.
- Add some defrosted frozen spinach to the ricotta.
- Put in a layer of vegan ground beef for added protein, texture and taste!
- Use a bit less water when making the ricotta to absorb some of the moisture the zucchini will give off.
- If you have a mandolin, use it to cut ⅛″ strips of zucchini. Using your vegetable peeler works well if you don’t want to purchase another kitchen gadget.
- If you slice the zucchini a bit too thick, don’t worry. Sprinkle the slices with coarse sea salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then wipe the excess moisture off with a paper towel. This will also soften the zucchini noodles so they’ll be easy to roll.
- Work in an assembly line. Lay out as many zucchini strips as fit on your flat surface. Spread the ricotta on all. Roll and put into the pan. Much easier than one at a time.
- If you’re having guests, totally prep in advance and pop into the oven when they arrive so you can enjoy your company.
- Make this for a sick or grieving friend…or anyone you know who needs a hug. Drop it off ready to pop into the oven. They can then just heat it up.
MEAL PREP AND STORAGE
- SERVE: Serve warm with a simple green salad or caesar salad.
- MAKE AHEAD: Vegan Ricotta can be made up to 5 days in advance. Prepare zucchini roll ups, place in baking dish on marinara, top with additional sauce and then cover and refrigerate for 3 days before baking. OR, completely make, bake, cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Reheat in 350 oven for 25 minutes or until heated through.
- STORE: Lasagna roll ups will stay good in the fridge for 5 days or freezer for 3 months. Put lasagna straight from fridge into preheated 350 oven for 25 minutes or straight from the freezer into preheated 350 oven for an hour..or until heated through.
- FREEZE: Make sure it’s completely cool before storing in airtight freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
More Healthy Zucchini Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Lasagna Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 3 medium sized zucchini
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups dairy-free ricotta
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Trim zucchini ends and cut a sliver off one lengthwise side so you can place it down flat on a cutting board. Use a vegetable peeler to "peel" zucchini lengthwise into long ⅛" thick strips.
- Spread ¾ cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread 1 heaping teaspoon dairy-free ricotta onto each zucchini ribbon, roll it up and place onto the marinara in the baking dish. Continue until baking dish is full.
- Pour remaining ¾ cup marinara sauce over the top of zucchini roll ups. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, if desired.
- Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy while hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Nora
Those look like fun! Can’t wait to try them out! Thanks for the recipe!
Luke
Such a great vegan lasagna recipe, we all loved it 🙂
Jerika
YUM!!! This looks so delish! I can’t wait to taste it. Thanks!:)
Megan
Delicious! Simple and so tasty.
Amanda Dixon
These lasagna roll-ups were so good! The zucchini made a wonderful substitute for noodles, and the filling was nice and creamy.
Jan
Nice and tasty
emily
I love the idea of using zucchini for a noodle substitute!
Linda
Love this recipe! Can’t believe it’s vegan because it’s so delicious
Sandy Klein
These were the most amazing zucchini roll ups so satisfying
Susan
If I make this and put in freezer how do I reheat it
Debra Klein
Take from the freezer to the fridge overnight, then follow the reheat directions: 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until heated through. If you forget to take it out of the freezer, you can put it straight into the oven….but use leave it in the oven for 1 hour.
Lisa
Have you ever tried making this with eggplant? I wonder if that would be a reasonable substitute. I am allergic to zucchini and yellow squash. I may try that and see how it goes.
Debra Klein
Yes…I have done this with eggplant…but I cut it a little thicker and roasted the eggplant on 400 for 10 minutes first to make it pliable. Let me know how it goes!
Lisa
Great-thank you! Looking forward to trying this!
Debra Klein
You’re welcome!
Lisa
I made this with eggplant but skipped the roasting (I won’t next time). It was really good, but I think I’ll use a mandolins next time for my slices. Thanks for the tasty recipe!
Debra Klein
Zucchini is my first choice for this recipe because it doesn’t need roasting first….and you can easily use a vegetable peeler to get the thin slices. When I do make this with eggplant, I always roast the eggplant slices first…and if you have a mandolin, definitely use it on the eggplant to get uniform slices!