Zucchini Ravioli

5 from 6 votes

Traditional ravioli gets a vegetable makeover: thin zucchini slices stand in for pasta, wrapped around a classic ricotta filling and baked in sauce until bubbly. It's a simple swap that works as a light dinner, a vegetarian main, or a low-carb favorite. All the flavor and filling, no noodles required! Use my homemade meat sauce for a real homemade treat.

Prep Time20

Bake Time25

Total Time45

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 8 large ravioli

Ingredients

▢ 2 and ¾ cups (708g) homemade meat sauce divided; store bought (25 ounce jar) and/or non-meat sauce is also fine
▢ 3 medium size zucchini
▢ 15 ounces (425g) ricotta cheese
▢ 8 ounces (227g) Italian blend shredded cheese divided
▢ 3 Tablespoons (17g) grated Parmesan cheese
▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning¹
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
▢ 1 large egg lightly beaten

Need to keep track of your ingredients?Check out my Printable Ingredient List!

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (191ºC). Line a baking pan (I always use a 7" x 11") with 1 and ½ cups of sauce. Set aside.
2 and ¾ cups (708g) homemade meat sauce
Using a mandolin or vegetable slicer, slice zucchini lengthwise to ¼" thickness. You'll want at least 32 slices in total, but I like to make several extra in case some of them wind up too thin. Lay zucchini slices on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt, and allow to sit while you prepare the filling.
3 medium size zucchini
In a medium size bowl, combine the ricotta, 4 ounces of the shredded cheese, grated Parmesan, seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well. Taste the filling, add more seasoning if desired, then add the beaten egg. Mix again until everything is incorporated. Set aside.
15 ounces (425g) ricotta cheese, 8 ounces (227g) Italian blend shredded cheese, 3 Tablespoons (17g) grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning¹, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 large egg
Blot zucchini dry with a paper towel. Lay out 4 zucchini slices like a lowercase "t," using 2 horizontally and 2 vertically, making sure that the slices going in the same direction are slightly overlapping. Place 2 heaping Tablespoons of prepared filling in the middle of each "t," then, starting with the pair of slices on the bottom, fold up the ends to form a pocket. Place ravioli seam side down in the prepared pan.
Cover each ravioli with an additional heaping Tablespoon of filling, and about ¼ cup of sauce. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over everything, then bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Ravioli freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.²

Video

Notes

Italian seasoning: alternatively, you can use 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme.
Moisture after thaw: since zucchini are very wet, excess water can accumulate after thawing. You can carefully pour off any unwanted water before reheating.
Make ahead instructions: assembled (unbaked) ravioli can be held in the fridge covered tightly for up to 24 hours before baking.
Freezing instructions: you can freeze this dish before or after baking. If freezing unbaked, bake from frozen with a little extra time rather than thawing first. Thaw baked dish in the refrigerator and pour off any unwanted excess moisture, if desired.

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.