Zucchini Ravioli
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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.
THIS ZUCCHINI RAVIOLI WILL BE YOUR NEW FAVORITE DINNER
If you’re in a pasta rut, trying to eat lower carb, or just have a pile of zucchini that needs a job (and don’t want another loaf of zucchini bread), this recipe solves all three problems at once. Swap the noodles for thin zucchini slices, layer in a classic ricotta filling, smother it in sauce and cheese, and bake. You get all the comfort of ravioli– the cheesy, saucy, melty parts that actually make ravioli good– without a single noodle.
It’s gluten-free and low-carb by default, so no special substitutions required (yay!). And despite the way it looks and sounds, it’s genuinely simple (promise). There’s no pasta dough to make or roll, no sealing edges with egg wash, and no boiling water. You’re folding vegetable slices around a filling instead of dough, and that’s about as far as the difficulty goes.
It also happens to be one of those dishes that reheats better than it starts. The zucchini keeps softening and soaking up sauce, so leftovers taste even more flavorful than the day you made it, which makes this a great make-ahead lunch or freezer meal (more on that below).
HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI RAVIOLI
Slice the zucchini: you’ll need at least 32 slices, about ¼” thick. A mandolin makes this fast and even, but I like to use a vegetable peeler. A knife works as well, I’ve done it before! But it’s harder to keep the thickness consistent. If you can, choose medium size, straight zucchini. Curved ones are a pain to slice cleanly. Two medium zucchini (about 8″ inches” long) should get you close to what you need.
Salt and rest: lay the slices on paper or lint free towels and salt them lightly. Not only does this give the zucchini some flavor, but it also draws out excess moisture so you don’t end up with watery ravioli (you’ll blot them off in a bit).
Make the filling: while the zucchini rests, mix the ricotta, shredded cheese, grated Parmesan, and seasonings together. Taste the filling and, if desired, adjust the seasoning before adding the egg. The egg is just there to bind everything, so it can go in last if you want to taste the filling first.
Assemble the pockets: spread a layer of sauce in your baking dish first. For each ravioli pocket, lay two zucchini slices down with a slight overlap, then two more on top going the opposite direction, so you’ve made a “t” shape. Add about 2 Tablespoons of filling in the center, then fold the bottom slices’ ends in, followed by the top slices’ ends, to close the pocket.
Arrange, finish, + bake: flip each pocket seam-side down into the sauced pan, top with a bit more filling, sauce, and shredded cheese. Bake about 25 minutes or until desired doneness. Everything will be bubbly when it’s ready!
If you want to taste and season your own filling, add the egg last so you can safely test it and adjust the spices to your liking.
VARIATIONS
Keep it vegetarian: use a marinara or other meatless tomato sauce instead of meat sauce if you want to keep it vegetarian. This dish is built to work either way.
Heartier/more protein: a meat sauce adds a tiny bit of protein, since the filling itself is dairy-based with no meat. But there’s no reason you can’t add ground beef to this dish. It’s quite flexible and open to your customization.
Spice it up: adjust the seasoning in the ricotta filling if you’re looking for a kick. Red pepper flakes, extra garlic, or fresh herbs all work well here.
MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZING OPTIONS
These ravioli hold up surprisingly well, so they’re great for planning ahead:
Refrigerate: assembled (unbaked) ravioli can be held in the fridge covered tightly for a day before baking. Baked leftovers keep well for several days and reheat beautifully in the microwave! The flavor actually improves as the zucchini continues to absorb the sauce and cheese.
Freeze: these freeze well either before or after baking. If freezing unbaked, you may want to bake from frozen with a little extra time rather than thawing first, since zucchini releases water as it thaws.
Zucchini 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
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
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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.
Zucchini ravioli have been on my to make list for a while. This recipe looks perfect. Meat sauce would be the preference in my house as well. I have a peeler that will hopefully get me those slices I need.Thanks for the recipe before zucchini season starts. 🙂
I hope your peeler works well for you– cutting them was SERIOUSLY no fun! Let me know if you try them!
10 out of 10, recommend if you’re in a pasta rut, or if you’re a vegetarian (substitute Marinara sauce), or if you’re trying to be healthier, or if you’re just looking for something to make for dinner! Nothing but positive things to say about this dish!
I’m so glad you enjoy this as much as we do– and now I think I might have to put this on our menu this week!
I have made this recipe several times, and everyone loves it. Friends, and family, it’s a keeper!!!
Thank you so much, Leah! 🙂
I used a mandolin to perfectly slice the zucchini. Once wrapped, I followed my very smart wife’s advice by placing the raviolis in an individually sized brownie pan that holds a dozen brownies. There, I topped each ravioli with grated cheese, a mushroom slice and pasta sauce. A friend suggested that these would make wonderful appetizers at a meal or cocktail party. The flavor and texture were great!
Hi, Tom– I love the creativity! Thanks for sharing. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
My zucchini were gigantic, so I struggled a little with the wrapping protocol. The filling was fantastic!
Thank you so much, Jen! I’m glad you could make it work 🙂