Baked Zucchini Lasagna Rolls with Ricotta and Marinara

Thin ribbons of fresh zucchini wrap around a fluffy ricotta filling flecked with garlic and basil. Nestled in marinara and topped with melted mozzarella, these rolls bake in one cast iron skillet and bring the comfort of lasagna to the table without noodles.

Zucchini lasagna rolls keep the flavors you expect from baked pasta and swap the noodles for sliced zucchini. Each ribbon is spread with a seasoned ricotta mixture, rolled into a spiral and packed upright in a skillet of marinara.

Fresh basil, grated parmesan and a generous layer of shredded mozzarella finish the dish. The method is simple: slice, grate, fill, roll and bake. You need one knife, one board, one grater and one skillet. The result is a hot, bubbling dinner where the cheese stretches as each roll is pulled apart.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Zucchini softens quickly in the oven, so it becomes tender while the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts. Slicing it lengthwise into thin ribbons gives each roll a flexible wrapper that bends without breaking, which is why the rolls hold their shape instead of falling apart on the plate.

Grating the ricotta over a box grater turns the cheese into fine, fluffy curds that blend evenly with parmesan, basil and garlic.

The seasoned filling stays light and spreadable, and the marinara underneath keeps the rolls moist. Packing the rolls snugly in the skillet prevents them from loosening as they bake, so every serving looks neat.

Notes and substitutions

Choose firm, medium zucchini with smooth skin. Very large zucchini have more seeds and can be watery, which makes the ribbons harder to roll.

A cast iron skillet holds heat well and keeps the sauce bubbling around the rolls, but any oven-safe skillet or shallow baking dish of similar size will work.

Use a good-quality marinara with a balanced tomato flavor, since the sauce coats every roll. Kosher salt is easy to pinch and season evenly, but fine sea salt works too if you reduce the amount.

Fresh basil adds bright flavor, and dried basil can stand in if fresh is not available, though the finished dish will taste less vivid.

• Marinara sauce: Any smooth tomato pasta sauce with garlic and basil
• Kosher salt: Fine sea salt, reduced to 1/3 tsp
• Fresh basil: 1 tsp dried basil, though fresh leaves give the best flavor

Equipment

• Chef's knife
• Wooden cutting board
• Box grater
• 12-inch cast iron skillet
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon